David Thomas: “Budgets, after all, are sort of a map as to where we go. They are without great detail, but sort of limit where we are…”

“Budgets, after all, are sort of a map as to where we go. They are without great detail, but sort of limit where we are going. They have to do with the revenue that we anticipate raising. They have to do with the expenditures, and generally where those expenditures will be. So, in terms of direction, in terms of what we really expect the Federal Government to do, the budget is extremely important. Let me mention that the budget basically is done by the Congress. The President has been very outgoing in claiming credit for all the things that have happened over the last few years, but the fact is the Congress is responsible for the spending. No spending can occur unless the Congress agrees to it. No spending can be made in the Federal establishment unless approved by the Congress. So the responsibility is here, and I guess also you could say if there is any credit for having done some downsizing over the past few years, it also goes here. But I wanted to talk about something just a little bit different and that is, frankly, my disappointment in the approach that is taken in this case, and other cases as well; I am disappointed that when we have something to decide in our Government, all of our Government, that we are not more willing to lay things out as they are.”