Tom Coburn: “I cannot help but make a few comments on the speech we just heard, noting the fact that over $500 billion in new…”

“I cannot help but make a few comments on the speech we just heard, noting the fact that over $500 billion in new spending was offered, of which over half was voted for by the ranking member on the Committee on Finance last year--new spending unpaid for-- and has the audacity to talk about the President getting us into this fix. I mentioned earlier, this Senate and the House, the Congress, got us into this fix. The bills start in the House, they come to the Senate, and the irresponsible spending that has gone on has been a compilation of many factors. But most of it rests upon the Members of the Senate who refuse to make the hard choices in terms of spending. I also note during last year's appropriations cycle, I offered amendments that were called sunshine amendments to make sure we knew what was in the bills we were voting on. I also note that the ranking member voted against those both times they were offered. It is disingenuous to claim lack of responsibility. It is all of our responsibility. The Nation does not want to hear Congress pointing fingers. They want a solution to the problem. That solution comes through by restraining the discretionary accounts, rather than offering another $200 billion or $300 billion this year of new spending that is unpaid for. It also comes through working the hard issues of changing the entitlement programs of Medicare, Medicaid, and reforming Social Security, like the President of this body has led on in the past.…”