On the recordMay 5, 2015
I hope some of the comments I make in reference to this product are not taken personally. I thank the Presiding Officer for all the work he has put into the budget and for his friendship and cooperation on so many different issues. What is this budget all about? A budget is really like a blueprint. It really says what we want to do and spend in the next fiscal year that starts October 1. As a result of passing a budget, we send a message to the spending committees and tell them how much to spend in different areas. The budget tries to spell out not only the amounts but also the policy we are to follow when we pass these spending bills. It is really a pretty small document by Federal standards, but it really packs a lot of wallop when it comes to what we are going to be doing for the next several months. Budgets make choices, just as our family budgets make a choice. Can we afford a new car? Is it time to move? Can we remodel the kitchen? Can we pay for the kids to go to college? These are family budget decisions that are made that really impact the lives of members of the family. Just as those decisions impact lives, so does this, in a large way, for over 300 million Americans. Sadly, from my perspective--and I have great respect for the Senator from Wyoming, who serves as the Senate Budget Committee chairman--from my perspective, this budget has the wrong priorities. Let me tell you why.…
