David Perdue: “I thank the chairman for his comments, but more importantly I thank him for his heart in terms of running the Budget…”

“I thank the chairman for his comments, but more importantly I thank him for his heart in terms of running the Budget Committee and leading us into this observation and recognition. As this chart says, we have a dysfunctional system, and we don't have an alternative but to find a better plan. With that, I note my good friend and esteemed colleague from Tennessee Senator Corker is here. He is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, but more importantly he lets me sit next to him on the Budget Committee. I want to say this about the Foreign Relations Committee. It is a very bipartisan committee. Under Bill Clinton, just 16 years ago, we spent about $20 billion on the State Department and USAID. Currently, we are spending about $54 billion. That is just one department. Those are constant dollars to show you how government has sort of exploded in the past 16 years--both under Republican leadership and under Democratic leadership. I am so glad Senator Corker is here, and I look forward to his comments.”