On the recordMarch 25, 2015
if we want to change the Budget Control Act of 2011, we need to pass the bill to do so later in the year. The budget resolution cannot fix sequestration. This particular amendment increases both defense spending and nondefense spending. Without a justification, it calls for spending $148 billion more than allowed by the BCA. The BCA requires the defense program to receive half of the reductions. That is not the case here. With nondefense limits, much work remains to eliminate inefficiencies in the nondefense side of the ledger. According to the CBO, there are 260 programs spending $293 billion in the 2015 budget that are not operating under a current authorization. That means the policy experts haven't done their work. So we can't tell if we need that much more money. This amendment seeks more money for nondefense. This amendment calls for an increase in spending and pays for it by extracting more taxes from American taxpayers. The tax increases in this amendment total $120 billion. Finally, perhaps the most important reason---- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
