Like so much else, the budget-balancing law has been rendered obsolete by the end of the cold war.

A deficit of $146 billion would force cuts under the budget-balancing law.

This is far above the $108 billion ceiling set in the 1985 budget-balancing law.

That rate, also increased because of the budget-balancing law, is $225 a year, up from $160.

But it is well within reach of the $100 billion deficit required by the budget-balancing law.

That deficit figure is far above the $108 billion ceiling set in the budget-balancing law.

Or they can change the budget-balancing law to make the deficit target this year easier to hit.

The plan would not reduce the deficit for the fiscal year 1988 to the $108 billion required under the budget-balancing law.

This would leave the deficit far above the $108 billion ceiling set in the budget-balancing law.

If Congress exceeds it, the budget-balancing law would require a $10 billion cut in military and social programs.