Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman I agree with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that we need to further cut Federal spending. I agree that we need to continue to reduce our Nation's deficit. But, there is a right way and a wrong way to reduce spending and the Kasich substitute is the wrong way to accomplish this goal. Last year I helped craft and voted for a package of spending cuts along with Mr. Kasich and Mr. Penny. While I did not like everything in Penny-Kasich, I was willing to make tough choices for the sake of deficit reduction. Next week, we will have the opportunity to vote on a balanced budget amendment and I will vote for this amendment because I believe it is time for this Government to live within its means. The debate here is not only about how much money the Government should spend, it is also about how we should reorder our national priorities. And while I agree that we need to reduce the deficit, I don't agree that we should do it by cutting funding for AIDS research or funding for research for breast and ovarian cancer or funding for student loans. I don't agree that we should cut in half funding for fusion research which offers hope for an endless supply of clean energy. This is exactly what the Kasich substitute would do. The Kasich substitute is not about cutting spending--it is a policy statement that, if enacted, would turn our country in the wrong direction. There is a difference between making tough choices and making irresponsible choices.”