I think on the capital budget side, yes, infrastructure improvement is critical in a lot of different areas.

the budget process is dysfunctional. That's a generous term for it.

A lot of that economic growth was driven by a bubble, and I don't really think we want to revisit that.

the two sides duke it out in the Senate with message amendments that go late into the night and are almost embarrassing to the institution.

To those still in denial, or even advocating steps that would make our debts even higher, please reconsider.

The approach should also make it clear that bipartisanship is at the essence of this exercise.

I have always been supportive of the balanced budget amendment. But you're talking about putting something by the next eon of life cycle, political life cycle.

I happen to think that if you're going to do budgets and you're going to pass budgets on a partisan basis, the budget becomes irrelevant.

I subscribe to Senator Gregg's emphasis on value-based reimbursement. I think we're making progress on Medicare. It's not hopeless.

I want to pursue your issue that you raised with respect to Pakistan's nuclear program and why that gives us a significant interest in what goes on there.

In my visits to Pakistan as Senator, one of the things I have heard everywhere I have gone has been the on again/off again nature of American assistance.

I don't think that's going to happen. On the bigger issue of the 1990s versus today, I do think there is structural differences.

Your careers may end happily before the reckoning. Your reelections may not be threatened by your inaction. But your consciences should be.

The classic example of this is ObamaCare. It was pushed through on a partisan vote.

I would suggest that on issues that involve all Americans, where pretty much everybody is affected, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and tax reform, that if you push forward in a partisan way, at least 50 percent, maybe a little less…

But my view is that if you're going to do it, you should do it in a separate budget structure, and you should find sources to pay for it.

Had it been actually a legislative vehicle versus a commission, we probably would be out of the woods right now on our deficit and debt issues.

In the end, you have to pay the debt ceiling because otherwise the government can't function, and the effect of that would be catastrophic.