On the recordJuly 14, 2011
I thank the Senator. I cannot think of a more important time in history for us to return to the tried and true budgetary process than at a time in which we are spending to a degree that is irresponsible, above anything we have ever done before. It is threatening the American economy. It is not a light, little problem. It is a serious problem. We are going now 805, 806 days without a budget. That is part of the problem. We are going to continue to work to insist that we proceed in the regular order under a budget. The House has passed a budget. The Republican House passed one by April 15, as the law requires. We have not even had a markup in the Budget Committee because the Democratic leadership has decided it is not fun to vote on a budget. You have to show your cards. You have to show where you are going to raise taxes, where you are going to cut spending, and how much the deficit is going to be after it is all over. President Obama's budget received such a poor reception because it was so unbalanced and irresponsible that, I guess, maybe they decided it would be foolish, as the leader said, for the Senate to even produce one. That is not a good reason. I know it might be appropriate that we yield at this point to our colleagues and let them share any remarks they have.
