Political Quotes

“I just listened to a speech by the Senator from New Hampshire talking about deficits and reconciliation bills. The bill we have before us today, the most dramatic increase in student aid ever in the history of the United States, does not add to the deficit. We pay for it. What the Senator from New Hampshire, whom I respect and like very much, fails to acknowledge is that when he was chairing the Budget Committee, when these reconciliation bills would come to the floor, they would add dramatically to the deficit every year. In fact, we have totaled it up. Over the last several years--2001, 2003, 2005--the Republican reconciliation bills added $1.7 trillion to the deficit. Now they come and rail against the deficits. This bill before us today is a bill that is paid for. It is paid for by taking subsidies away from student loan companies. Do you know what happened the last round in reconciliation? They ended up taking about $12 billion in help away from students and giving it to the wealthiest people in America in tax cuts.”