Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I urge the Senate to support this amendment. The amendment I am offering along with the Senator from Maryland, the vice chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, Ms. Mikulski, proposes the creation of a biennial budget resolution process. Having a two-year budget could enable the annual appropriations process to run more smoothly, and it might also benefit other committees. The appropriations process often bogs down due to the failure of the budget resolution process. If there is no budget resolution in place, there is no framework to facilitate consideration of appropriations bills. Establishing a biennial budget process does merit serious consideration, but biennial appropriations are another matter. Proponents of biennial appropriations argue that having an ``off year'' in which there are no appropriations bills will mean more oversight during the off year. Well, this ignores the close relationship between oversight and the appropriations process itself. Within each year's appropriations process, in the hearings before the committee, informal meetings, committee reports, and the bills themselves, Congress provides guidance-- admonitions sometimes--and funding adjustments based on program performance and changing priorities. The appropriations process is one of the best tools Congress has to reform, improve, eliminate, and modernize programs under its jurisdiction. Having an off year would not translate into more oversight.…”