Pete Domenici: “I welcome the Senator's remarks. I really do. I just want to finish my thoughts because I wanted to get to a very simple…”

“I welcome the Senator's remarks. I really do. I just want to finish my thoughts because I wanted to get to a very simple point, that we have modified our proposal and we are still in balance under that proposal. And as my friend, Senator Gorton, who occupies the Chair now, clearly said, not only did we resubmit another balanced budget using the Congressional Budget Office, but the blue dogs in the House--that is a group of Democrats--have submitted one that gets to balance. A group of Senators, 20 in number, 10 from each side, has submitted the framework for one that is in balance using the Congressional Budget Office. Senator Moynihan within the last 3 days has submitted one. And frankly, I think the House did us all a service when they sent us a continuing resolution that will open all of Government if just one simple thing is done, and that is if the President will join this litany of different institutions within our framework that have produced a balanced budget using CBO. If he will join us, then all of Government is opened and funded at reasonably good levels for 21 days from today. Now, having said that, I wish to make sure that everybody understands I am not trying to say everything my way. I will state it as I view it and the Democrats can state it as they want to. But when they submitted a counterproposal, they did not move an inch on Medicare, an inch on Medicaid, in December from their June proposal.”