Political Quotes

“Mr. President, debate over the fiscal future of our Nation has been at the center of the 112th Congress. With the passage today of the Budget Control Act of 2011, we have avoided a default on our national debt, we have made a significant downpayment on our deficit, and we are establishing a Joint Select Committee that provides a real opportunity to achieve even greater deficit reduction by the end of this year. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I am privileged to have a staff of dedicated professionals who advise me on the complicated budget issues that have been before this body. My staff also shares its expertise with Members on both sides of the aisle. They are a credit to the Senate, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work during the session. Budget Committee staff director Mary Naylor deserves particular credit for putting together a team that regularly provides thorough and accurate analysis, often on incredibly short notice. Deputy staff director John Righter also deserves a special mention. Mr. Righter's mastery of baselines and scoring has been invaluable as we have developed and compared various plans to address our long-term fiscal issues. Deputy staff director Joel Friedman and committee chief counsel Joe Gaeta have also played a critical role in the committee's work this session.…”