Bart Stupak: “today there will be a lot of rhetoric, and I hope civil rhetoric, from the other side of the aisle about the President's…”

“today there will be a lot of rhetoric, and I hope civil rhetoric, from the other side of the aisle about the President's budget. My Republican colleagues will go as far as to demand that the President submit another budget. Mr. Speaker, the American people know that the Constitution says, and I quote, ``All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.'' It is our duty, it has been our obligation, and will continue to be this House's responsibility to approve all appropriation bills, including the budget. Republicans are now demanding that the President resubmit his budget. This is a complete reversal of their approach of the last Congress. The American people certainly remember how the Republican majority virtually shredded the President's proposals in pursuit of a radical agenda. I call upon my friends to seize the moment, steer the proper course, and use the President's proposal as an historic opportunity to balance the budget. The President wants this done, Democrats want this done, and the American public wants it done. I believe that beneath their current political rhetoric the majority wants a balanced budget as well.”