Kent Conrad: “What it shows is if you do cumulate the spending over 5 years, it was $222 billion, but the deficit reduction was $231…”

“What it shows is if you do cumulate the spending over 5 years, it was $222 billion, but the deficit reduction was $231 billion. That is a fact. On the other side, they increased by $28 billion, and added to the deficit by $9.3 billion. So the only folks who had cumulative totals here on the floor that added to the deficit were our friends on the other side of the aisle. That is a fact. We have been very careful to insist amendments on our side be paid for and reduce the deficit. We insisted that not only amendments offered on this side be deficit neutral, but they actually reduced the deficit in addition to any change in funding priorities. The Senator once again says the budget before us will reduce the deficit in half in 3 years. The problem is, if you look at increases to the debt in each of those years, you don't see a reduction. The debt continues to be increased between $500 and $600 billion a year in every year of this budget proposal--$3 trillion. On the Senate budget, in fairness, $2.9 trillion added to the debt in just the next 5 years. The President's plan adds $3 trillion to the national debt in just the next 5 years. That is a mistake. That is a mistake because it is coming at a critical time, right before the baby boomers start to retire.”