Pete Domenici: “I come to the floor as I embark upon my last year as a Senator after 35 years. Tonight, today, this week, this month…”

“I come to the floor as I embark upon my last year as a Senator after 35 years. Tonight, today, this week, this month reminds me of something. It reminds me that it is time for the Senate to have a serious debate on whether we should be doing appropriations every year and doing a budget resolution every year or whether it is time for the Senate to do that on a 2-year basis, as many States do, and as we certainly could do, taking the first year for appropriations and budgeting and the second year of the bi-cycle with no appropriations other than emergency supplementals or whatever we define. I believe it will work. I believe it will work because it is better than what we have. I also believe things are so bad in terms of not being able to get our work done and ending up with appropriations like this. As good as they are, as hard as people work, everybody knows it is not the way to do business. We have done it. Democrats have done it. I lay blame on no party. I merely say the Senate can't sleepwalk through this for much longer. This is a huge problem with a simple solution. The solution will be a little one that will address a huge problem. Plain and simple, the legislation is drawn, committees have had hearings, a 2-year cycle for the processes of budgeting and appropriations. I hope those who have come up to me in the last week will follow through.”