Date: 2007-01-29
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you to my good friend from Youngstown. Ohio. You know. your comments sort of bring to mind that our good friends on the other side of the aisle want to have their cake and eat it. too. They were the ones responsible for putting us in this situation where we have to adopt a continuing resolution that is essentially continuation funding that in order to put a finger in the dike and make sure that things dont get any worse and that we can begin the process for the 2008 budget and getting our fiscal house in order. It was them that only were able to pass two out bf all of the spending bills that were in their hopper. It was them that left us this mess. And now. you know. you will see over the next couple of days. Mr. MURPHY. our good friends on the other side of the aisle actually stand up and criticize their own budget. which is what the CR is. They will try to put our colleagues on our side of the aisle who were just elected. who. you know. campaigned against fiscal irresponsibility in a box and make it seem like somehow this continuing resolution is what we crafted when we are in a situation where it is shut down the government or pass the simplest. most effective way of getting us across the finish line so that we can move on and really address the concerns that we talked about during our 30Something hours in the 109th Congress. which was that we are in the worst financial shape that we have been in in decades. that we have a foreign debt that is more combined than any of the 42 previous presidents combined. And yet they will try to have their cake and eat it. too. criticize us on their budget that we are going to have to continue but. at the same time. not claim responsibility for it. It is really going to be shocking. So it is something that I think it is important that we talk about and that we lay out there. Because. you know. this process. the appropriations process is one of the most inside baseball. nittygritty. intricate things that we do. and there are Members that have been here for years. and I am just. as a new member of the Appropriations Committee. you know. even though I am chairing a subcommittee. I still have a significant learning curve. So explaining it to the people that we represent. while they are watching it all unfold on TV. is really somewhat difficult. So it is critical that people understand that. I actually talked to some of pur colleagues on the floor tonight when we were talking about the CR and. you know. all lamenting that we are not able to craft a bill that we would all love to support with the increases that the veterans deserve and the increases that are deserving in education. that are critical in terms of education and health care and health and human services and housing. I mean. those are all programs that Democrats have campaigned on and fought for. But because we have colleagues that spent like drunken sailors. that had no regard for the fiscal house that we are now charged with putting back in order. we find ourselves having to cinch the belt as tight as possible just so that we can get through and start making things right. I think each of our colleagues. particularly the freshmen like you. Mr. MURPHY. are going to have an important task of going back to your constituents and explaining that we have got to be responsible here first. Give us an opportunity to get through the mess that we were left and then we can really show you what we can do. Be happy to yield..