Pete Domenici: “You said even if you wanted to present a child care proposal, you would be precluded from doing that unless there were…”

“You said even if you wanted to present a child care proposal, you would be precluded from doing that unless there were something in this budget resolution that allowed it. I don't believe the Senator meant that. For, let me tell you, this budget resolution does nothing to the right of anyone to bring up a bill with a new entitlement, which is what you are contemplating, so long as it is paid for. You would have to provide tax increases or entitlement restraint. And you can offer all the child care add-on mandatories you would like; they may not pass, but they would not be subject to a point of order. The budget processes are complicated and in some cases arcane, but there is a simple one: You pay for entitlements with entitlement cuts or tax increases. So you could do that. I am not suggesting that is the best way, or the only way, but I believe you said you could not, and I just wanted to make sure that, at least from my standpoint, you either--if you meant what you said, you at least take into consideration what I have said--or perhaps you could suggest that I am in some way in error?”