Steve Largent: “I just want to remind all of my colleagues that what we are about to vote on... is just that. We are talking about…”

“I just want to remind all of my colleagues that what we are about to vote on... is just that. We are talking about making an appropriation for emergencies. Now, our President, who is not known for his fiscal restraint, has asked for $5 billion for emergency supplemental spending. The Republicans in Congress have upped the ante. We have raised the ante on the President's request of $5 billion to $8 billion. We are outspending the President. Why? Because we are adding a lot of things that are not, clearly are not, emergencies. We just approved on a voice vote a commission to study higher education. Why is that an emergency? I do not understand that. I want to tell my colleagues that in Tulsa, Oklahoma, $8 billion is still a lot of money. People have to work very, very hard to send $8 billion in their taxes to Washington, D.C. I urge all of my colleagues to consider the fact that what we are talking about is an emergency supplemental and support the Neumann amendment.”