Roy Blunt: “This amendment is really another test of the Congress' commitment to fiscal discipline. Today we're considering a State…”

“This amendment is really another test of the Congress' commitment to fiscal discipline. Today we're considering a State and Foreign Operations bill that is close to another record increase. I think it is below the President's number, but I've voted on a number of bills over the last several years that were below the President's number. And the fact is the President's number was too high, 9 rac{1}{2} percent increase over last year's spending is too high. We can cut more than that, we can cut back to last year's spending, we can cut a percent, we can cut 2 percent, we can cut, go maybe even below last year's spending, but 9 rac{1}{2} percent over last year's spending is too much money for this bill at this time. Not very many American families saw an increase last year of 9 rac{1}{2} percent. First, you have to figure out where these massive increases are going. Fourteen and 15 percent increases for the U.S. Agency for International Development, $203 million, or a 17.6 percent increase for the United States contribution to various international organizations. Second, you have to look at where this wasteful spending is going.”