Political Quotes

“I respect the Senator from Oklahoma. I respect his fiscal conservatism. I respect his belief that our budget deficit is a source of growing concern for all of us. He says we need to start with good habits. I believe we need to start with the right language. We need to understand what the Senator is asking us to consider. He started by saying that no family in America has the luxury the Federal Government has of spending more than they bring in year after year after year, which is what our deficit does at the Federal level. No argument there. Let me use another family example. My wife and I have raised three children. Occasionally, we have given them some choices. A father could say to his son: You have $200 coming up for your birthday. Here are the choices you can make: You can buy a new suit--it wouldn't be a bad idea if you are going to go out for an interview--or you can buy that bicycle you have had your eye on for a long time that you want to take to college or I know you want to buy an iPod. OK. Make a choice, but you only get $200. Make one of those choices. I authorize your birthday gift to be spent on those three things, but I will not appropriate--I will not give you the $200 for all three, only for one. Three choices are on the table; you only get to choose one. Authorization bills put choices on the table, and then the appropriations bills make a choice. It doesn't mean my son is going to get $600 at the end of the day; he only gets $200.”