Political Quotes

“the budget resolution conference report now before us once again reflects the impact of what I fear is an extreme conservative agenda that I believe is not shared by the majority of my constituents, or indeed of the Nation. I cannot support it. I note at the outset that I was happy to support the bipartisan centrist alternative budget that was offered last month by Senators Chafee and Breaux. In my view, the alternative plan took a more moderate approach based on a far more reasonable ranking of priorities. I should also note that the budget resolution which passed the Senate on May 23 was somewhat better than the pending conference report. Although I did not vote for the bill, I was pleased that the distinguished chairman of the Budget Committee, Mr. Domenici, added $5 billion to discretionary spending, of which $1.7 billion was earmarked for education. Unfortunately, that enlightened step was quickly undone by the conferees, and the budget now before us resembles all too clearly last year's ill-conceived and misguided reconciliation bill that resulted in 2 Government shutdowns and 13 continuing resolutions. It is dismaying to contemplate a repetition. The budget before us is all wrong, in my view. It continues the preposterous inconsistency of scheduling tax cuts and continuing tax breaks while at the very same time purporting to move toward a balanced budget. It pads the defense budget by more than $11 billion.”