Chuck Grassley: “when we debated the Senate budget resolution in committee and on the floor over the last few weeks, I raised a concern…”

“when we debated the Senate budget resolution in committee and on the floor over the last few weeks, I raised a concern about the transparency of the budget. One of the problems I pointed out was the over reliance of the budget resolution on unspecified revenue raisers. As ranking member of the Finance Committee, I referred mainly to Finance Committee policy demands that weren't realistically reflected in the budget. I referred to currently expiring tax, trade, and health and welfare spending provisions. The expiring tax relief provisions within the first year of the budget resolution alone amount to $135 billion. In discussing the budget, I also referred to the track record of the Democratic leadership, while in the minority, of spending the same revenue raising offsets over and over again. There is a clear risk of this deceptive behavior having a real fiscal impact now that Democrats are in the majority. As has been proven over the last few weeks, the Democratic majority can't reduce spending. So taxes are raised to pay for more spending while the spending-driven deficit remains high. What we have seen is an obsession by the Democratic leadership for going to the tax side of the ledger and gross up the spending side of the ledger. Once again, spending wins out and the taxpayer loses. Now, comes the Wyden-Craig amendment.…”