John Spratt: “Mr. Chairman, the Kirk substitute is Hensarling light, just as objectionable for most of the same reasons, only less so.…”

“Mr. Chairman, the Kirk substitute is Hensarling light, just as objectionable for most of the same reasons, only less so. He just put up his sign over there which said it would save $445 billion and which could be spent on Medicare and Social Security. That is the estimated savings produced by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) just said they are wrong, and yet he was holding up a sign indicating that the savings that he would accomplish are just what they indicated they would be. So he saves $445 billion for Medicare but he gets it by taking $175 billion out of Medicaid, $50 billion out of Federal civil service retirement and disability, $28 billion out of military retirement, $22 billion out of veterans' benefits, on down the list. That is how that $445 billion adds up. He limits the safety net programs to 2 percent. It is true, he picks out some programs that are sensitive, we might call them safety net programs, and he provides they will not be cut more than 2 percent, another difference between him and the gentleman from Texas. But this provision means that other programs are not deemed to be sensitive and they include child care payments, price supports, farm price supports, crop insurance, TRICARE military health benefits, among others; these face unlimited cuts, larger cuts because the other programs are shielded.”