Mike Conaway: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps the next couple of hours, and certainly most of all day tomorrow, Member after Member…”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps the next couple of hours, and certainly most of all day tomorrow, Member after Member on our side will come down here to these microphones and attempt to reduce spending in this appropriations bill. My amendment would fix a problem that they will have should they be successful in any of their amendments. Under our existing rules, the existing processes under which we work, the budget is passed and is allocated among the various programs under what we call a 302(b) allocation. Each of these subcommittees bring their bills down here in a total amount to be spent. As I have mentioned, Member after Member will come down here to attempt to convince a majority of us to reduce the spending that is included in the bill. Should they be successful, it's not likely but should they be successful in reducing that spending the little known secret, unknown outside the Beltway, is that the actual total amount of spending under the 302(b) allocation will not change, no matter what we do here on this floor. It stays where it is. And so what my amendment would do, it would be to take those successful attempts to reduce spending and would funnel those dollars against the deficit that this country will continue to experience in 2008. If you look at the budget that was passed by the Democrats, the budget shows a deficit for this year.…”