Ronald Dellums: “in the context of this discussion regarding the balanced budget, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seek three…”

“in the context of this discussion regarding the balanced budget, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seek three objectives: One, to change the nature, function, and role of the Federal Government in people's lives; two, to significantly reduce the size of the Federal Government; and, three, to shrink the revenues designed to carry out the purpose, the business of Federal governance. Nothing can be more fundamental and basic than that, to change the definition of the role of the Federal Government in people's lives. It would seem to me if this struggle is that fundamental, then you do not solve that problem by creating the artificial crises of shutting down the Government. Dignify your own fundamental struggle here, allow the workers to get back to work, allow the Federal Government to function, and within the context of the processes that are designed for us to deal with these problems, let us address it that way. This is a fundamental basic struggle here. It is not a testosterone test. It is not an ego trip. It is a fundamental discussion. We ought to have it.”