Max Baucus: “But I have a larger concern about this bill. It is the issue of our spending priorities. Briefly stated, at a time when…”

“But I have a larger concern about this bill. It is the issue of our spending priorities. Briefly stated, at a time when we are trying to cut spending in order to balance the budget, we should not be authorizing so much new spending on water resource projects. This legislation authorizes more than $3.3 billion in new Federal spending. And while investing in our infrastructure, including navigation, flood control, coastal and storm protection, is important, it is not the only demand being made on our taxpayers. We are in the midst of one of the most critical balancing acts in our Nation's history--balancing the budget. We are facing some very tough choices. The question facing us is whether modernizing an existing lock is more important than protecting Medicare, or whether deepening an existing channel will be of greater benefit to the people of this country than promoting education programs?”