Political Quotes

“I rise to support the budget resolution that is before the U.S. Senate. Speaking to that, I want to remind people of some history. These famous words came from Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's Chief of Staff. It dates from about 2008. He famously said: You never want a serious crisis to go away. There is no statement that better encapsulates the mindset of the previous administration. We all know Americans are struggling to cope with economic and social disruption still carrying on from the pandemic. The Biden administration saw a real opportunity, an opportunity to permanently increase the size and scope of government. They said that they wanted to transform America. I hope everybody on my side of the aisle wants to preserve America. In my view, it makes sense, in times of national emergency, for government to take steps to help individuals, families, and small businesses weather that storm. But once the crisis subsides, so should the programs and spending enacted in response. Yet here we are in 2025, and Federal spending, as a share of the economy, remains at levels never seen outside of war or national emergency like recessions or depressions. In 2019, before the pandemic, the total Federal spending totaled $4.45 trillion. In 2024, the Federal Government spent over $2 trillion more. So that is a total of $6.75 trillion, a relative increase of over 50 percent.…”