Political Quotes

“I rise to discuss H.J. Res. 48, a short term continuing resolution designed to keep the Government open through April 8th. If the Senate passes this resolution it will be the sixth short term continuing resolution this year. With its passage we will be more than half way through the fiscal year and still operating without a budget. H.J. Res. 48 would fund the Government for an additional 3 weeks and would reduce the rate of operations for the Federal Government by an additional $6 billion. If adopted, we would be operating the government at a rate that is $51 billion below the amount requested by the administration for fiscal year 2011. At this level, our spending on security programs will be $30 billion below the president's request and $21 billion lower on domestic spending. I would also point out to my colleagues that this is $31 billion below the so-called Sessions-McCaskill level which every member of the Republican caucus voted for last year. The aggregate amount in this short term CR is the level proposed by the President as a compromise with the House Republicans and it is the same amount that was included in the amendment which I offered as an alternative to the House continuing resolution last week. By agreeing to this level, the Senate will be $6 billion lower than current spending levels, but no lower than the President has recommended.…”