On the recordApril 6, 2011
as the deadline looms, our budget negotiations continue nonstop. The Speaker and I met with the President yesterday morning, and we met with one another yesterday afternoon. As in any ongoing negotiation, the status of those talks is constantly evolving, but I will give the Senate a snapshot of where we stand at this moment in time. The bottom line has always been the same, and it is this: We want to avoid a shutdown. We want to pass a budget that makes smart cuts--cuts that save money but that don't cost jobs. This has been our bottom line throughout this process. So we have made some tough choices. We have made those choices because we know at this late stage of the game reality is more important than ideology. We know sacrifices are the cost of consensus, and we think they are worth it. Our bottom line hasn't changed because our objective hasn't changed. We want to keep the country running and keep the momentum of an economic recovery that is creating jobs. I wish I could say the same about those on the other side of the negotiating table. The Republicans' bottom line has changed at almost every turn. First, Republicans refused to negotiate until we tried it their way. We gave the reckless House-passed proposal a vote. The Senate resoundingly rejected it. Then, once talks began, Republicans staked out their position. They asked for $73 billion in cuts. When we said: Let's meet in the middle, they said no.…
