Jim Nussle: “Mr. Chairman, we need a budget blueprint in order to build for the future. We cannot have the carpenters show up without…”

“Mr. Chairman, we need a budget blueprint in order to build for the future. We cannot have the carpenters show up without a blueprint. A mess would ensue, as one might imagine. We cannot have the subcontractors do their work. We cannot have any of the folks who need to construct the house show up for work without a blueprint, and that is what a budget provides. It provides the framework so that all of the rest of the fine-tuning and detail work can be accomplished. Even before the end of last year, we knew what priorities were going to have to be part of this budget; they were becoming very clear. Spending had to be kept under control, there was no question. When we talked to colleagues, when we talked to constituents, no matter where we went, controlling spending had to be a hallmark of whatever budget plan came together. We heard, too, that growth of our economy was vital to getting our country back on its feet. So we came together with all of the extraordinary circumstances that our country has been dealt over the last number of years and we knew we had to go to work. We had a growth deficit in our economy, and we dealt with it by reducing taxes and a progrowth policy which has given us 6 months. The last 6 months were the fastest growing 6 months in over 20 years, because tax relief is working, Americans are being put back into working positions.”