Political Quotes

“I thank my colleague. I know Senator Ayotte wanted to be on the Budget Committee. We had a host of fabulous new Senators who wanted to be on it. We got four, but many more wanted to be on it. Senator Portman, Senator Toomey, Senator Johnson, and Senator Ayotte were selected. I would say I know how disappointing it was because we talked about how we didn't even mark up a budget last year. So the people who wanted to be on there to participate in the great issue of our time--the debt this Nation is facing--got no ability or option or opportunity to participate in the debate because the majority party in the Senate decided that was not what they wanted to do. The majority leader said it would be foolish to have a budget. It is very sad. The President's budget represents an opportunity and a responsibility to guide this Nation for the future. The President has no higher duty, no higher responsibility than to help the Nation avoid an obvious crisis. Mr. Bowles and Senator Simpson, who chaired President Obama's debt commission, looked us in the eye and issued a joint statement on the Budget Committee last year about this time that said the Nation has never faced a more predictable economic crisis. What they were saying was if we don't change what we are doing, we are headed to a crisis. Mr. Bowles, President Clinton's Chief of Staff, said to us that this crisis could happen within 2 years. I saw yesterday on the television, ``Morning Joe,'' Mr.…”