Political Quotes

“I am constrained to say a few words in defense of the committee's decisions with regard to the total overall spending in this bill. It is below the President's budget request. Twenty-two percent of the funds in this bill are discretionary; 78 percent of the funds in the bill are mandatory--mandatory, meaning there is legislation directing the spending be made to those that are defined as eligible for the benefits under the law, under statutes that have been passed by Congress and are now the law of the land. So the subcommittee, in working to identify the appropriate levels of funding, has to look at the law, provide the funds that the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the other agencies funded in this bill say will be due and owing by the Government under statutes that require the money to be paid. Here is an example of one of the programs. It is the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program. The participation in that program is defined by law. The eligibility for participation is defined by law. If someone is eligible and presents themselves to a facility where the program is administered, they are entitled to the benefits. They are entitled to medical care. They are entitled to food supplements. And the funding for that has to be appropriated. So this bill contains funding for the WIC Program.”