On the recordJanuary 25, 2011
I rise today to oppose the budgetless resolution. It ignores job creation, has no numbers, no specifics, and it gives no serious plan to reduce the deficit. The Republicans say they want to decrease the deficit and that they will try to cut non-defense discretionary spending back to 2008 levels. They say this will save $100 billion in discretionary spending. I am giving them a chance to put their money where their mouths are. Today, I introduced H.R. 413, legislation that would reduce defense spending to 2008 levels. We can't be serious about getting our house in order if we are exempting 60 percent of discretionary spending from cuts. My legislation will save $182 billion over the next 5 years. That's $182 billion from a sector riddled with extra planes and engines the Pentagon doesn't even want. We spend more than any other country. The next closest is China; we spend seven times what they do. How about just cutting back to maybe only spending five or six times as much as China does. I urge support of H.R. 413.
