On the recordMarch 28, 2012
And I'm opposed for a simple reason. This document filed by Mr. Mulvaney is not the President's budget. And it's being portrayed as a very misleading--it was a very misleading presentation of the President's budget. This is the President's budget. If you look at all the other budgets presented today, you'll find numbers and you'll find policy statements that describe the policies behind the budget. The thing Mr. Mulvaney filed--no policy. In fact, he just said the President's policy raises gas taxes, I believe? That's just a false statement. The other issue is why you have a number for revenue in the President's budget. You mentioned that there was a revenue number. The President never pretended otherwise. The President's budget takes a balanced approach to deficit reduction. It makes cuts, and it raises revenue. Let's talk about how he raises revenue. He raises revenue, in part, by getting rid of subsidies on the big oil companies. We think at a time of record profits, we don't need to have taxpayer subsidies for big oil companies. Our Republican colleagues, almost every one of them, have signed this pledge to Grover Norquist saying they won't get rid of one oil subsidy or one tax loophole for the purpose of deficit reduction. Well, the President thinks we need a balanced approach to deficit reduction. Now, you wouldn't know from reading Mr. Mulvaney's document, what he puts in place as the President's budget, that that's how the President raises revenue.…
