Political Quotes

“I rise today in support of the budget resolution and in opposition to the Kasich substitute. This budget resolution would reduce the deficit to a level that is $115 billion less than it was 3 years ago, representing the smallest share of the U.S. economy since 1979. It would mark the first time since 1969 that discretionary spending would actually fall. This budget is concrete evidence that the discretionary budget caps are real and they do bite. The Budget Committee even had to cut the President's budget by an additional $3.1 billion to bring it into line with the caps and Congressional Budget Office scoring. In addition, we are under the entitlement caps set last year. And entitlement spending will be addressed in health care and welfare reform later this year. Both health care and welfare reform will be done on a pay-as-you-go basis. Increases in spending in one area will necessitate cuts in another. Mr. Kasich, on the other hand, assumes the Republican welfare plan. As I said to the gentleman from Ohio in the committee, the budget resolution, particularly a budget resolution without reconciliation instructions, is not the place to do welfare reform. The Republicans have their plan; the President will submit his sometime around Easter and we will have real debate about this in the Ways and Means Committee. I agree with the President that welfare ought to be a second chance, not a way of life.”