John Spratt: “Mr. Chairman, the fifth point that we would make about our budget as opposed to the base budget deals with Social…”

“Mr. Chairman, the fifth point that we would make about our budget as opposed to the base budget deals with Social Security and Medicare. There is a distinct difference, indeed there is a chronic difference, between the way we deal with Social Security and Medicare and the way they deal with it. First of all, our budget protects, preserves, and defends the Social Security Trust Fund. Over the next 5 years, we are going to rack up $48 billion in surpluses under our budget. What do these ensure? They ensure that the Social Security Trust Fund will remain intact and untouched. The Republican resolution, on the other hand, puts the budget back in the danger zone, on thin ice, close to the edge. To begin with, to do what they propose, to achieve this surplus that they claim of $17 billion, $110 billion over the next 5 years, they have got to do $117 billion in real reduction in discretionary spending over the next 5 years. That has not been done over the last 10 when we had deficits. It is not likely to be done over the next 5. And if it is not done, if that assumption is not met, the budget is back in the red again. It is that simple.”