send messages asking Congress to get its act together.

send messages asking Congress to get its act together.

“I don't know whether they will be able to meet the Gramm-Rudman requirements this year. From what I hear, President Reagan’s proposed budget (delivered to Congress last week) does meet the targets.”

Sen. Miller said that he had introduced a resolution last year which requested Congress to work toward a balanced budget, and would have prevented Congressmen and Senators from seeking re-election if there were a budget deficit during their term. He added that, to his disappointment, the proposal was killed by committee.

John Marocchi observed, “It’s a balancing act (with the budget). The programs individually are good - but collectively, they're too expensive.”

“If,” Sen. Miller agreed, “we could hold down the cost of government operations - that would help. -. . I simply think that the federal government is too bankrupt to do much to fund (programs like) the Clean Water Act.”

(The $18 billion Clean Water Act was passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives last week. Calling the bill a “budget-buster,” President Reagan had vetoed the bill last year, but the vote of406 to 2 virtually assures that Congress could override another presidential veto.)

“It’s going to have to come from the states,” Sen. Miller contended, citing the cooperative effort among Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

As discussion shifted to politics and the political process, Sen. Miller commented that “It can be very discouraging.”

Mr. Marrochi replied, “It is a serious indictment of our political process that interested people are so discouraged and disgusted.”

“There seems to be a great deal of pessimism,” Sen. Miller agreed, “about the way things are going. It’s unfortunate. People think they can’t do anything. Even members of Congress, they think ‘I can’t do anything, I’m only one person.’ I get pessimistic when I think about it.”