Patty Murray: “a week ago we all listened as the President laid out his priorities in the State of the Union. At the time, I noted that…”

“a week ago we all listened as the President laid out his priorities in the State of the Union. At the time, I noted that what he says in his speech is a lot less important than what he does in his budget. Yesterday, he sent us his budget, and I am deeply concerned about what it means for our country, our people and our future. Later today, I will raise some of my concerns directly with the budget director, and I will come back here to the floor time and again to talk about what we should be doing. But this morning, I want to step back and take a broad look at the significance of the budget and the choices before us. I want to remind my colleagues that what we do now will affect us, and the American people, months from now. The budget decisions we make now will either empower us, or tie our hands, when we turn to write the appropriations bills. I am speaking on the floor today to warn my colleagues that you cannot vote for an unrealistic budget in the spring and then act surprised in the summer and fall when painful cuts are required. At the end of every year, Congress crams several important pieces of legislation through in a rush to head home for the holidays. This past year was no different. In a matter of days, we finished appropriations bills, authorization bills, and even spending cuts. Unfortunately, the logjam we experienced at the end of last year was not a surprise to many of us who work closely on the budget process.…”