Tom Coburn: “I, too, would congratulate our chairman for the job he has done. I agree that they have done great work. But I think his…”

“I, too, would congratulate our chairman for the job he has done. I agree that they have done great work. But I think his point proves the point by his very own testimony. Last year they cut $1 billion. This year they cut another $500 million. Where did the $500 million come from? They cut $1 billion last year and they can cut $500 million more this year? Why not two pennies' worth? Why not 2 cents more? It is the same thing in every Government agency: There is so much waste, there is so much to get, that we will find more next year. There will be more next year. There will be more than this $500 million next year, because it is there. The question comes, it is like the guy on TV in Oklahoma says, 'What's the deal?' The deal is we promised to balance this budget. We promised to live within our means and quit sacrificing the future of our children and grandchildren. We have to have the discipline to do that. The true fact of the matter is, as the gentleman from Wisconsin stated, we are spending $14 billion more than what we said we were going to spend a mere 9 months ago. It proves that there is not the discipline in this House to live up to its obligations in terms of the budget and in terms of spending. All we are saying is cut every additional appropriations program a minimum of $1.9 percent, 2 cents. Everyone knows we have 2 cents worth of waste in the Federal Government.”