Mike Enzi: “I am always fascinated with the budget process anyway because the President sends us a bunch of suggestions on how we…”

“I am always fascinated with the budget process anyway because the President sends us a bunch of suggestions on how we ought to spend money. I know the people back in Wyoming think that is the way it is all going to come out. In Wyoming, we have just one process, and it is called the budget process. It is really the appropriations process. When the budget is done, balanced, and the money is spent, they think that is the point we are at right now instead of just suggestions from the President. We all know that Senators are going to change, and we are the ones in charge of making those changes. They really don't understand that the federal budget process puts in place some constraints on spending, some areas of spending, and some suggestions on spending that the Appropriations Committee may or may not pay any attention to anyway. But discipline can come from this part of the process. I commend everybody on the Budget Committee for all the diligence they put in to covering a variety of issues. There is some good debate we have over issues, where we are, where things were, and where things are going. I do note when the President came into office, he had no idea that September 11 was going to happen or that Katrina was going to happen. Both of those events put major dents in the budget.”