Chuck Grassley: “Haley's Comet appears and disappears every so many decades. So do balanced budgets in Washington, DC. After 30 years, it…”

“Haley's Comet appears and disappears every so many decades. So do balanced budgets in Washington, DC. After 30 years, it looks like our Budget Committee, of which I am a member, will have another balanced budget for the first time, as I said, in 30 years. And it looks like after that we could have surpluses for quite a few years. Of course, that is a very unusual situation from a fiscal standpoint--for this Congress to be faced with balancing the budget 2 or 3 years earlier than we predicted and having surpluses for quite a few years into the future. That gives us a windfall opportunity to do good. But it also is giving some who are willing to squander this an opportunity and to do it in the form of more spending or in the form of more tax cuts. Last year's budget deal was, of course, to the benefit of both political parties. We actually did something good. We did it together. And the good benefited our country. This was very different. It was a bipartisan plan. We wrapped our arms around each other. Both sides should, and do, take credit for doing this good.”