Cord Byrd: “the Constitution grants to Congress an extensive array of powers, each of which in one way or another touches the lives…”

“the Constitution grants to Congress an extensive array of powers, each of which in one way or another touches the lives of every 1 of the 300 million people who live in America today. But of all of those powers so carefully inscribed in article I, none is so powerful or so necessary for the welfare of our country as the power to appropriate monies--monies from the Federal Treasury. But it is not simply within the power of the Congress to appropriate funds for the operation of the Government. It is a duty that must be exercised each year without fail and without excuses. The operation of the Government to enforce our laws, to serve our people, to protect our liberties depends upon Congress providing the funds that are necessary to do so. The bill that will soon be before the Senate, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, is essential legislation for the country. It includes 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills. In all, it appropriates $473.5 billion--spelled with a B, Mr. President, a capital B. That is $473.50 for every minute since Jesus Christ was born. It appropriates $473.5 billion for the operations of nearly every agency in the Federal Government, save for those funded by the already- approved Defense Appropriations Act. The bill contains an additional $42.2 billion in emergency spending, including $31 billion for the war in Afghanistan and for force protection for our troops--American troops, our troops--in Iraq.”