Arlen Specter: “I am delighted I did not have an offset here on fraud and abuse. I have an offset on administrative costs. As the…”

“I am delighted I did not have an offset here on fraud and abuse. I have an offset on administrative costs. As the distinguished chairman knows, there has to be an offset. I chose an offset which I think is realistic. When the distinguished Senator from New Mexico says the appropriators are going to do whatever they want to do, I wonder why we are here at all. Why have we been spending the last 2 days on a budget process that does not mean anything? The fact is that it does mean something. When the Senator from New Mexico says, call on the subcommittee chairman of Veterans' Affairs, how about the chairman of Veterans' Affairs? I chair the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Let me tell you, it would be a boon to that committee to have this researched. Now the question is whether there is going to be any sense of the Senate at all, and if there is, this amendment will be adopted.”