Victor Fazio: “this vote is not just about bridges and highways. We are all for them. It is a vote about priorities, a vote about…”

“this vote is not just about bridges and highways. We are all for them. It is a vote about priorities, a vote about fiscal discipline and a promise we made to America just last year. Unfortunately, as the majority leader put it the other day, the leadership of the House is more concerned about haste rather than substance. As a result, we may unravel the first balanced budget in a generation. This is no way to write a budget. The cart is way before the horse. If we approve this bill we are going to have to make substantial cuts in the budget. Where do we get the $26 billion from; defense? From senior citizen housing, again, another day? From our kids health care? From education or maybe our seaports or airports, as we did the other day? Those of us on the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations already knew we were going to have to shave billions of dollars from the Federal budget just based on last year's budget deal. Now we will have to find billions of dollars more to cut. Mr. Chairman, it boils down for us today to a question of courage. Let us be responsible about spending. Let us set our budget priorities in the manner they should be set and let us show the American people we have the courage to live within our means.”