Jon S. Corzine: “I am disappointed by the budget resolution before us here today. I am disappointed, but I can't say I am surprised…”

“I am disappointed by the budget resolution before us here today. I am disappointed, but I can't say I am surprised, given the track record of this President and the Republican leadership in Congress. The process of developing a budget each year provides an opportunity to take stock of our priorities as a Nation. The President outlines his priorities through his budget, but it is the Congress, with its control of the purse strings, that is ultimately charged with the responsibility of fashioning and enacting legislation. Regrettably, the priorities reflected in this budget resolution-- which mirror those in the administration's budget proposal--are wrong for America and certainly wrong for the people of New Jersey. In New Jersey, we are particularly sensitive to the choices made by this administration and its allies in Congress, since we provide the greatest contribution of taxes paid relative to what we get back from the Federal Government. Our return on the Federal dollar has fallen from 70 cents to a meager 57 cents under the Bush administration. This budget will only further increase the strain on New Jersey's citizens, especially our most vulnerable: our children, our disabled, and our seniors. Put plainly, this budget is not about lowering the deficit or making shared sacrifices or addressing the needs we have as a society. It's about making room for more tax breaks for the most fortunate--and it's not even successful at doing that.…”