September 29, 1978
Page 32600
Mr. MUSKIE (for himself, Mr. ROTH and Mr. GLENN) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by them, jointly, to S. 3077, supra.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I am introducing today with Senator ROTH and Senator GLENN an amendment to S. 3077, the Export-Import Bank Amendments of 1978.
Our amendment is identical to that which we introduced on Tuesday as a substitute to S. 2, the sunset bill.
That substitute amendment, amendment No. 3658, is cosponsored by Senator ROTH, Senator GLENN and by the distinguished majority leader (Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD), the distinguished majority whip (Mr. CRANSTON) , and Senators RIBICOFF, PERCY, BIDEN, PELL, ANDERSON, BELLMON, BENTSEN, BURDICK, HARRY F. BYRD, JR., CHAFEE, CHILES, CHURCH, CLARK, CULVER, DOLE, DOMENICI, DURKIN, EASTLAND, GRIFFIN, HART, HASKELL, HATCH, MARK O. HATFIELD, PAUL G. HATFIELD, HATHAWAY, HEINZ, HUMPHREY, KENNEDY, LEAKY, LUGAR, MATSUNAGA, MCINTYRE, METZENBAUM, MORGAN, NUNN, RIEGLE, SASSER, SCHWEIKER, STAFFORD, STONE, TOWER, WILLIAMS, HUDDLESTON, BAYH, and FORD.
My amendment is the latest and best of many versions of the sunset bill. It has been worked out with the leadership, and most of the authorizing committees as well. We introduce it today, as an amendment to S. 3077, because time is running out. The sunset bill has been debated and discussed for almost 3 years. It has twice been reported by the Governmental Affairs Committee, and recently by the Committee on Rules and Administration. It has been the subject of more than a dozen days of hearings with at least 50 witnesses commenting on its every provision.
In the closing days of the last Congress Sunset came to the Senate floor.
The bill's sponsors agreed then that there was not sufficient time to consider such an important new idea. We committed ourselves to prompt and early consideration of Sunset in this Congress.
Today, we are at the end of another congress. And I do not want the opportunity to consider Sunset to slip by us once again.
In the fall of 1978, our Nation is in the throes of inflation on the rise. Sunset offers us one of the few responsible alternatives I have seen to respond to this serious threat — by giving us a systematic way to bring Federal spending under control. And, whether we like it or not, Federal spending and inflation are, in 1978 and beyond, inextricably intertwined.
The Sunset bill we have proposed is a simple idea. It challenges the traditional wisdom that Government programs, once enacted, should remain forever on the books. Instead, it proposes that a program should continue only if Congress decides it is needed and if it is working well.
Under our amendment, virtually all Federal programs would come up for systematic review and reauthorization on a rotating, 10-year basis. Similar programs would come up for reauthorization at the same time, thereby giving us an opportunity we badly need to consider Government policies across the board. I strongly support the enactment of Sunset legislation, for a number of reasons.
In the first place, Sunset will complement the budget process by giving us an important new tool we need — to bring Government spending — and thus inflation — under firmer congressional control.
Second, it will strengthen the congressional authorization process — the most important policymaking tool that we have — by requiring Congress to regularly reconsider everything it does.
Third, it will help us free up increasingly scarce budget resources — so that we can channel spending from low priority areas toward programs we really need.
Finally, it responds, in a thoughtful and responsible way, to rising public concern that Government today is not working as well as it should.
For all these important reasons, the time for a decision on this legislation has come. I urge my colleagues to consider these factors when I call up my amendment for debate.