Eva M. Clayton: “this resolution really trivializes what is perhaps the most significant legislative initiative we will undertake this…”

“this resolution really trivializes what is perhaps the most significant legislative initiative we will undertake this session. Our colleagues may disagree with the President's budget, but it does indeed balance. Our colleagues may not like how it balances, they may think it should balance early, but CBO really said, ``If you use his assumptions and his trigger, it would balance at the year that he indicated it would.'' The budget, however, provides guidance for how we spend our resources, who will we spend it on; it determines indeed what our resources will be spent on and indeed who is important. The budget for our Nation is the most important plan that our people will have. We will decide whether small family businesses spanning generations will be able to survive through relief from unfair estate tax, we will decide the kind of assistance we will give to those who are aspiring for education, higher education, for Head Start, we decide whether American children will get a healthy start or any assistance at all. So this is no small matter talking about the budget, but it is a small matter what we are doing on this floor.”