In a decision choreographed last week, the Senate Tuesday night narrowly defeated the constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget, although GOP leaders left open the possibility the Senate could vote again if the House approves the proposal.
Repeating the vote that was cast during the first session of the 104th Congress, Tuesday's Senate tally was 66-34, one short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment. Senate Majority Leader Lott said he believes the House will approve the BBA. But House Republicans, fearing defeat in their chamber, had wanted the Senate to vote first and pass the measure to provide momentum.
Senate Republicans also left open the possibility of accepting changes the House may make in the BBA. "We'll be happy to look at whatever brings about that bipartisan coalition," Senate Judiciary Chairman Hatch said. However, some House Republicans are pushing a plan that would take the Social Security trust fund off-budget as part of the BBA, a plan that Senate Republicans vehemently oppose.
Following the Senate showdown, Senate Judiciary ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., contended, "I think we struck a blow against bumper-sticker politics today." He called the proposal a "cockamamie way of amending the Constitution." Earlier, he said the measure is "beneath the United States Senate. It is beneath the House of Representatives."
For his part, President Clinton in a statement said, "I am pleased that the Senate has heeded the warnings of eminent economists and constitutional experts from across the political spectrum, and defeated the balanced budget constitutional amendment." He suggested the measure "could have caused or worsened recessions, permitted a minority of legislators to hold the nation's creditworthiness hostage, involved unelected judges in spending and tax policy, and threatened Social Security and other vital benefits." Clinton also stressed his commitment to achieving a balanced budget by 2002, and called on Congress to work with him and continue the spirit of "bipartisan cooperation."
"It's time to do the real work of balancing the budget," Clinton said.
Since last week, Senate Republican leaders had hoped to sway an additional Democrat or make a small change to convince another Democrat to support the BBA, but Senate Minority Leader Daschle said no attempt was made to do either.
"To my knowledge, the senators were not even approached," Daschle told reporters. "There wasn't any serious attempt to come to any resolution."
Some Republicans said they did not want to see changes made merely to court Democrats.
"I would not like to see last-minute changes intended to get one or two votes," Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., told reporters earlier Tuesday.
Senate Republicans clearly were frustrated by Senate Democrats who killed the amendment by deciding only during recent weeks to oppose it.
"Here are 55 senators who honor their commitment to their constituency and the American people," Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, said at a Senate Republican news conference earlier Tuesday afternoon called to demonstrate united support for the amendment.
Hatch told reporters, "It was not the Republicans who broke their promise."
However, in a sign things were not going their way, the Republicans who met on the front steps of the Capitol were drowned out by a heckler and sirens signalling arrival of PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat on Capitol Hill.
GOP members again accused Democrats of finding excuses for voting against the balanced budget amendment.
"I'm doggone tired of the demagoguery on Social Security," Hatch said in an angry floor speech, referring to Democratic charges that the constitutional amendment could endanger the program. "Every time they're losing, they try to bring up Social Security."
But Daschle responded that Social Security is a valid concern. "Clearly, Social Security is increasingly an issue that the American people want us to address," he said.
Republicans also made clear they expect Democratic opponents of the amendment to produce a balanced budget plan without it, as they have been saying they can do for several weeks.
"It's now up to the president to match reality with rhetoric," Gorton said.
But Hatch said he believes the hammer of a constitutional amendment is needed to force the issue.
"I don't believe we'll get all the way to a balanced budget and stay there without a constitutional amendment," he said.
NEXT STORY: Kasich: Send Us a New Budget