Peter Deutsch: “I want to respond actually to a couple of things because I have been taking notes, and this really is a dialog, and I…”

“I want to respond actually to a couple of things because I have been taking notes, and this really is a dialog, and I would really like to respond to a number of things. The gentleman from California, I think, made a good point in terms of saying that the out years really are more difficult than the just the first year. The first year is difficult as well in terms of cutbacks that are taking place, real dollars levels less than, not inflation-adjusted or anything else, real dollars less than the previous year, I mean bottom-line reductions in a variety of programs. But I think what you obviously understand and what people need to understand is next year's Congress can change this budget. I mean, we can only obligate ourselves legally for the year, for while we are here for this year, we cannot obligate ourselves for next year. We are putting a framework in place, so I guess the reason why I bring that out is that your concern, and I am not arguing for a continuing resolution at all and I think you know, maybe it is a realization on our part, that we might not come to a resolution, and that is one of the reasons why, if we were under a balanced budget amendment, we would not be having this debate because that would be the sandbox that we were playing in. And by one vote, we are not having a balanced budget amendment in this country. This House overwhelmingly supported a balanced budget amendment.”