“Today my Republican colleagues passed a budget that is flat-out fiscally irresponsible and morally incomprehensible. Not only does this budget add trillions of dollars to our national debt, but it also makes drastic cuts to programs so many of our working families, farm families, seniors and children depend on.

“Under the failed leadership of the current Administration, we have witnessed the largest deficits in history for five consecutive years including a projected deficit under the passed budget resolution in FY 2007 of $348 billion.

“From 1998 to 2001, our nation enjoyed a balanced budget. We actually had a budget surplus and could meet many of America's priorities.  Today, our nation’s debt has reached a staggering $8.3 trillion.  If every man, woman, and child chipped in to pay their portion of the national debt, they would be writing a check to the tune of $28,000.

“The budget resolution includes $228 billion in tax cuts over the next five years.  I am not opposed to tax cuts.  In fact, in 2001, when our nation enjoyed a budget surplus, I supported President Bush’s tax cuts.  However, in a time of record deficits and in a time of war, tax cuts are fiscally irresponsible.  It simply doesn’t make sense to borrow money from China to give those earning over $400,000 a year a tax cut.  It’s nothing more than a tax increase on our children.  This budget resolution also makes sweeping cuts in funding for Department of Education programs, eliminating 42 programs in total, lessens funding for veterans by $8.6 billion and health care by $18 billion over the next five years.   

“A budget process is about establishing priorities.  As a nation, we must decide if our priorities lie with providing tax cuts for those earning over $400,000 a year or with adequately funding education, health care and veteran’s benefits for our men and women in uniform who selflessly served our great nation during our greatest hours of need.

“This week, I voted in support of the Democratic Alternative to the budget.  This budget would have done better by our children and grandchildren.  It would have restored fiscal responsibility and discipline to our nation’s budgetary process and balanced the budget by 2012.  Furthermore, it would have invested $45.3 billion more in education, an additional $6 billion for our veterans and $18 billion more for health care over the next five years. 

“It is possible to respond to the needs of America’s working families while also enacting responsible and sensible budget measures.  My fellow Members of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Coalition and I have a budget package that would restore fiscal sanity to our nation’s government. Our ‘12-Point Budget Plan’ sets forth sensible objectives such as supporting a constitutional amendment that would require a balanced budget every year,  establishing ‘paygo’ standards --  meaning any new spending must be paid for by cuts in other programs -- and justifying spending for pet projects.  Our budget plan has received mounds of praise from many non-partisan watchdog groups across the country, and I can only hope this will eventually have an impact on the way our majority party chooses to address our nation’s budget needs.

 “Congress had an opportunity to pass a responsible budget this year - a budget that protects our working families, strengthens the middle class, and provides opportunities for all Americans while maintaining a system of accountability, but they did not. As Congress continues forward in the budget process, I will fight for fiscal responsibility and work to restore these irresponsible cuts.”

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