Political Quotes

“I'm not sure the gentleman answered my question with condition two and three of the Cut, Cap, and Balance pledge. Again, I haven't read the legislation. So I see the pledge. I'm not sure what's in the legislation. I thank the gentleman for his observation that we need a meaningful and, I would say, robust addressing of the problem that confronts us. In fact, as you know, because we have discussed it at the White House for 4 days now, from Sunday night through last night--I guess 5 days-- the President of the United States has been indicating that we need--he calls it a ``big''--a grand design, if you will, along the lines that have been suggested by two of the commissions, which on a bipartisan basis recommended a grand design. That grand design would have reached at least $4 trillion in deficit reduction and debt reduction, and, in fact, that is a figure somewhere close to the budget that was passed through this House. I might say to the gentleman parenthetically that it's my understanding that the Cut, Cap, and Balance might get closer to the RSC numbers than your budget number that was passed here. The RSC number that I refer to, of course, was the amendment that was defeated on this floor by one vote. But I would say to the gentleman that the President wants to do a grand design to reduce that deficit not by $1 trillion or $2 trillion or $3 trillion but by $4 trillion.…”