Political Quotes

“Well, Madam President, I have been waiting all day, as all my colleagues, and I am on the Senate floor to offer an amendment. I am sorry the Senator thinks it is necessary to object. I am not sure what harm it causes to get another amendment pending, and I am happy to vote on any of these amendments as the majority leader determines to set the votes, or the bill managers. But I will speak just briefly on amendment No. 186, which I will call up at the appropriate time. All of us can agree the Nation faces the greatest fiscal challenge in its history, with growing deficits and record debt. Currently, the deficit is roughly 9.8 percent of our gross domestic product, and the debt is north of $14 trillion--so high that, in fact, we will be asked sometime in the spring to consider voting on lifting the debt limit, in effect raising the debt limit on the Nation's credit card because it is maxed out. According to the two Cochairs of the President's own fiscal commission, the Nation could be facing a debt crisis, a loss of confidence that we would actually be able to pay back our debts, and that crisis could come as soon as in the next 2 years. That is why the amendment I am offering today, which I hope will enjoy broad bipartisan support, establishes, indeed, a bipartisan U.S. Authorization and Sunset Commission that will help improve oversight and eliminate wasteful government spending.…”