Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise to speak on the bipartisan, bicameral budget agreement that is currently before the Senate. This budget agreement, while far from perfect, will help move our economy forward, create certainty that has been sorely lacking for far too long, and save some $23 billion over the next decade. It has been 4 years since the House and Senate have reached an agreement on a budget that sets priorities for Federal spending and revenues. While the 2- year budget agreement worked out between Senator Murray and Congressman Ryan is not what I would have written, it is a step in the right direction. It will prevent Congress from lurching from crisis to crisis, avoid most of the across-the-board, meat-ax cuts known as sequestration, and will allow the Appropriations Committee, of which I am a member, to do its job of developing bills to responsibly fund the government within agreed to limits. Over the last 9 months since sequestration went into effect, I have met with countless Mainers, including shipyard workers, medical researchers, educators, Border Patrol agents, small business owners affected by the delayed opening and shutdown of Acadia National Park, and nonprofit organizations providing services for the low-income and the elderly. All have shared stories of their personal experiences with how the indiscriminate cuts of sequestration have affected them, their families, and those whom they serve.…”