Ernest Istook: “I know we always hear some things that are long on emotion but short on facts or short on logic. One would think that…”

“I know we always hear some things that are long on emotion but short on facts or short on logic. One would think that what we were doing is cutting out or eliminating certain programs that the gentleman from Missouri referred to. That is not the case at all. What this bill says is for the discretionary spending of the Federal Government, let us reduce it 1 percent across the board. Not singling out any program for elimination, not singling out any department, not Meals on Wheels, not the military, not anyone but just saying overall in government, can we tighten our belt by 1 percent so that we do not jeopardize the Social Security trust fund any more. Because in the past, hundreds of billions of dollars from the Social Security trust fund were spent by Congress. And it happened even after the Republican majority took over because we were trying to make the change and now we are making it. Most of it, of course, in the prior years. But the time to use Social Security money for all these other things has stopped, and all you have to do is say to the rest of government, spend 99 cents instead of $1. That is it. And we do not touch Social Security benefits, we do not touch veterans benefits, we do not touch Medicare benefits. It is only the discretionary programs that are touched. Is that asking too much? Is that the end of the world? Of course not. Except to the people who claim what they do not want to do is spend Social Security, but what is their answer?”