Political Quotes

“I am very fortunate to be the ranking member on this subcommittee because I always have a hole card and that hole card is the chairman of the subcommittee. I say that because not only does he serve on this very important subcommittee as chairman, he is also chairman of the Budget Committee, which helps when we run into money problems--No. 1, for understanding the budget issues in their entirety, since he has been in the process over the many years of setting the budget, the process that we have here, but the chairman of the Budget Committee also is able to work with the Office of Management and Budget, able to work with the Congressional Budget Office, and other people who make this bill one that has been able to move through the process. It is a very difficult process. So I say to my friend, the chairman of the subcommittee, the chairman of the full Budget Committee, I appreciate very much his including me in matters when I would not have to have been included. The chairman of the subcommittee, the manager of this bill, and this Member, can be about as partisan as anybody can be or needs to be. We do what we need to do to protect our two parties. But when it comes to matters where you have to set aside your partisan differences and move forward for the good of the country, I think we have set a pretty good example. We have been able to work through a very difficult process. This is an important bill--$22 billion.”