Kent Conrad: “Again, the Senator from Texas talked about spending being out of control. I just beg to differ. I do not think that is…”

“Again, the Senator from Texas talked about spending being out of control. I just beg to differ. I do not think that is what the record shows. As a share of GDP, Federal spending has gone down each and every year for the last 9 years, from 22 percent of GDP to 18 percent this year. Under the budget resolution that passed, Federal spending as a share of gross domestic product is going to continue to decline, from 18 percent of GDP down to 16.3 percent, the lowest level of GDP since 1951. Discretionary spending, domestic discretionary spending is going to be at the lowest level in our history. So, please, let's not be telling the American people there is some big spending binge that has been going on here and put up a chart such as the one the Senator from Ohio has up there that has just one part of Federal spending.”