C. W. Bill Young: “I am going to vote for this rule, but I do not support it. I do not think it is a good rule. I want to explain in just…”

“I am going to vote for this rule, but I do not support it. I do not think it is a good rule. I want to explain in just the couple of minutes that I have why that is the case. First, I think I should make it known, especially to Members on my side of the aisle who have heard recently that I have been opposing budgetary caps, that that is not true. I do not oppose caps on the budget. To the contrary, my colleagues have heard me here on the floor many times saying that I need a budget. I cannot help it that the budget committees cannot get together and give us a real budget, but I need a budget to have discipline in the committee when there are amendments on the floor to raise spending by billions of dollars. So I need a budget with a budget cap. However, I will not support statutory budget caps. This rule provides for a bill that provides for statutory budget caps. The reason I will not support statutory budget caps is very simple. It goes beyond politics, it goes beyond the House and the Senate. It is the Constitution of the United States that has established checks and balances by separation of powers. The budget process is the responsibility and the jurisdiction of the Congress of the United States. Statutory budget caps put the executive branch into the mix. We would be hearing from OMB on a daily basis that they cannot accept this or they cannot accept that; that you are going to have to do it our way, or we will not sign the bill.”