Political Quotes

“I don't oppose the amendment, because this is a very important topic. There is no question about it. This is another one of the ways that our country needs improvement. Certainly, the Federal Government is an appropriate place to look for strategies to do that improvement. Here is the problem: We have to set priorities. If this is a priority--look, we have a trillion-dollar deficit. And this should be a priority. Let's find a program that is not as important, decrease the funding to that program, increase the funding to this program. Madam Chair, that is not the approach the amendment takes. We are now up to $22 million, if all the amendments pass that we have discussed since just the last amendment vote--$22 million coming from the Secretary's management account. You know, this is having your cake and eating it too. This is saying: This is important, but I am not going to make the tough decision of what is less important. Because it is mythical to believe that we are going to cut $22 million out of a growing agency's budget to manage that growing agency and not have an effect. So, that is why I reluctantly rise to oppose it. Madam Chair, it is about priorities. They send us to make the tough decisions. The tough decision isn't to say: Here are all the things. Let's go fund them all. The tough decision is: This is what needs priority. And this does need priority.…”