John Spratt: “the critical vote came first. It was the vote to bypass the budget and do away with the rules that have served us well…”

“the critical vote came first. It was the vote to bypass the budget and do away with the rules that have served us well for the last 10 years. They moved the budget out of deep deficit into big surpluses. Now, with those rules out of the way, this tax bill can work its will, which is just what the gentleman said, it is to raid Social Security. If you do not believe me, look at the President's own budget. The President's budget calls for $675 billion in tax cuts on top of the $1.3 trillion passed last June. Among other things, it calls for this repeal of the sunset provision. As a result, look at the President's own budget. It wipes out what it is left of any surplus, it spends the entire Medicare surplus, consumes it completely, and spends two-thirds of the Social Security surplus, by the President's own accounting. Last month, when our Republican colleagues in the House brought out their budget resolution, it provided for none of those tax cuts. Not any of them. It did not make any mention of repeal of the so-called sunset in last year's tax bill. Why was that? Because they knew if they factored into their budget these tax cuts, it would drive the bottom line through the floor. It would put the budget in deficit for as far as the eye could see. They would be spending virtually all of Social Security, the Social Security surplus, and all of the Medicare surplus.”