On the recordMarch 9, 2011
I want us to remember why we are here. The reason we are here right now debating this issue is because last year the Democratic majority failed to pass a budget. They did not pass a budget and did not pass a single appropriations bill. This is a $3.7 trillion enterprise called the Federal Government. Last year, we did not pass a budget. We did not pass a single appropriations bill. So this is cleaning up the unfinished business of last year. It was always said that we could not do this before the election. So when the election was over with, instead of dealing with these important budget issues, we did a START treaty, which, of course, was important to debate; don't ask, don't tell; the DREAM Act; all kinds of other things but never the budget. We did not deal with the budget. So here we are dealing with last year's unfinished business. So when my colleagues come in here and make all these arguments about how terrible it is that we are having to do this and the House Republicans have sent us this budget that shaves $60 billion from last year's spending levels, the reason we are having to go through this exercise in the first place is because last year the Democratic majority did not even pass a budget. Where does that leave us today? Well, we all know we have a $14 trillion debt--$14 trillion. I think that has sunk in with the American people. To put that into perspective, historically, this last month-- the month of February--our debt was $223 billion.
