John Sarbanes: “This also reflects or demonstrates a sense of priorities. To take the amendment we were just considering, the Murray…”

“This also reflects or demonstrates a sense of priorities. To take the amendment we were just considering, the Murray amendment, and then the Santorum amendment, the Murray amendment sought to avoid increasing the deficit by adding money for the community development block grant. All of the State and local governments are petitioning Congress for this. It is desperation time for them. She was prepared to pay for it by closing some corporate tax loopholes, all of which have previously been approved by the Senate, as I understand it. So in terms of priorities, in effect, we are saying: Support the Community Development Block Grant Program, but pay for it by closing these corporate tax loopholes; that is a higher priority. You do not raise the deficit, and you do not increase the debt by that amount. Is that correct, I ask the Senator?”