María Elvira Salazar: “I rise to discuss the budget resolution that is currently before the Senate today. This is my third year in the Senate…”

“I rise to discuss the budget resolution that is currently before the Senate today. This is my third year in the Senate, and this is the third budget resolution I have had the opportunity to consider. But this is the first time I can say I am proud of the resolution before us. It is long overdue. We have not had a budget for 2 years, and we are still operating under the budget resolution passed in 2005. The circumstances surrounding the budget are not ideal. Our fiscal situation in this country has deteriorated significantly year after year over the past 6 years. We know we cannot fully fund every good program, and we are still facing deficits even as we move closer and closer to the demographic tidal wave that will soon overtake the Social Security and Medicare Programs. But, to their immense credit--to the immense credit of the chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Conrad--they have crafted a very good, strong budget resolution. The budget resolution before us provides a blueprint that will enable us to fund our most important Federal programs, provide new tax relief and extend expiring tax provisions, and bring the budget into balance within 5 years. It will do all that without raising taxes. Still, one of the most important parts of this budget is not a program or a tax cut; it is a simple principle: If you want to take money out of the budget, either by increasing funding for Federal programs or by cutting taxes, you have to pay for it.”