DA:May 20, 1999
Sen. Chuck Grassley issued the following comment regarding his vote in opposition to thesupplemental spending bill adopted this afternoon by the U.S. Senate.
"I cast my vote 'no' to send a signal that Congress needs to continue to exertthe kind of budget discipline that was exercised to achieve the first balanced budgetin three decades. This bill squanders surplus money that belongs to Social Security. There's no doubt that funding is needed for the Kosovo operation, but the moneyshould be allocated through the regular appropriations process we've established toensure the government funds its obligations.
"The process that was used to push through this overloaded spending bill isa reversal to the old attitude, the old mind set, the old practice that brought us to themonumental debt levels that threatened the American dream for our children andgrandchildren. I'm committed to funding for our national defense and much-neededadditional support for farmers, and I'll work to meet those very necessarycommitments through the appropriations process this year."