On the recordMay 25, 2010
We have been asking all afternoon, where's the budget? We have even sent out bloodhounds trying to find this budget. Mr. Speaker, in 2006, Congressman Steny Hoyer, who is now the House Majority Leader, was quoted as saying enacting a budget was ``the most basic responsibility of governing.'' And Congressman John Spratt, who is now the chairman of the House Budget Committee said, ``If you can't budget, you can't govern.'' Now, we are a month past the deadline and Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership are showing no signs of complying with the law and coming forward with a budget for fiscal year 2011. Without a budget, there is no procedural enforcement mechanism to constrain spending. With the administration increasing nondefense discretionary spending by 84 percent since taking office, I fear that without a budget our national debt will continue to spiral out of control. Mr. Speaker, this will be first time since the Budget Act was enacted that the House will not have passed a budget. We want to know, Mr. Speaker, where is the budget?
