On the recordFebruary 28, 2013
Madam President, as I look at my watch, the clock is ticking toward midnight. Midnight becomes March 1, and that is the point at which the sequester kicks in, which is the across-the-board cuts--hardly massive when this year it will be about 1.2 percent of our total outlays this year. So, I am not sure how the word ``massive'' can be used with any credibility; but, nevertheless, this is going to happen. Republicans have proposed a way to address the President's concerns-- the very concerns that have been stated on this floor--including the concern that across-the-board cuts is no way to govern because it doesn't separate the essential from the nonessential. I think we as Republicans couldn't agree more. It is not the best way to govern, because it treats everything on an equal basis and basically says that every Federal program, no matter what its performance over the years, doesn't deserve a look at how to adjust it for its lack or strength of performance.…
