On the recordMarch 14, 2023
Mr. President, over the years, I have heard President Biden share a favorite expression of his father's. He said his dad would tell you: Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I'll tell you what you value. Well, there is a lot of wisdom in that statement. A person's budget shows what they truly value, whether that is supporting those who are less fortunate, saving for the future, or achieving a certain type of lifestyle. The same is true for the Federal Government. It is easy for leaders to say they value a strong military or fiscal responsibility, but a budget shows whether they really mean it. Last week, of course, President Biden released his budget for the next fiscal year, which gave us an unvarnished view of what he truly values. In countless ways, it stands in stark contrast to what he has told the American people. The President spoke about the need to rein in out-of-control spending, but he proposed more than $2 trillion in new spending. Given the growing threats from China and Russia, he says he cares about a strong national defense, but he proposed a mere 3.2-percent increase in defense spending--far below the level of inflation. So it actually is a cut. He has spoken about the importance of growing our economy, but he proposed additional job-killing tax hikes on Main Street businesses and other job creators.…





