Angie Craig: “I am forcing it as someone who has stood on this floor for the last 4 years and fought for nearly $8 billion a year for…”

“I am forcing it as someone who has stood on this floor for the last 4 years and fought for nearly $8 billion a year for family farmers such as you have. We have stood arm in arm in that. But the bill that is coming to the floor is $2 billion over the budget that you have talked about and that slot in the budget that we prepared. I must tell you that this Senator is going to vote for emergency funding for farmers in agriculture, but we are not going to go above a very generous budget to do so. I thought it was most important. Yes, the House has moved. I believe the chairman of the authorizing committee is here, and he can speak for himself. But it is my understanding that this bill will come to the floor about $2 billion ahead of where the House was. The House complied with the budget resolution. We are rapping on that door of spending that surplus in Medicare. I don't care how you use the argument. The reality is very simple. The majority leader is moving us--and he is right--to a very important debate. But it was important for some of us who support farmers but also support fiscal integrity and the budget to stand up and say, Mr. Leader, we are out of budget, we are out of line, and we are $2 billion beyond where we ought to be. That is why I objected.”