Congress Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2009

Floor Speech

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 -- (Senate - March 13, 2008)

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Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, on the campaign trial, Senator Obama has called for about 188 proposals of new spending. What this amendment consists of is this. We take 111 of those new spending proposals and we put them in this amendment. If you look at it with the 2009 5-year budget, it will cost this country around $1.4 trillion. The argument has been made on the campaign trail this will be paid for by taxing the rich. That is not possible.

If you apply tax increases to those who make $250,000, or more per year, all you come up with is about $225 billion. That is not even close to what it takes to pay for all these new proposals. What you are going to do is have to cram your hands into the pockets of small businesses and the middle-class families and yank the money out of their pockets and send it to Washington to pay for a bloated bureaucracy.

The point of this amendment is you cannot pay for all the spending by taxing the rich.

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The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To pay down the Federal debt and eliminate government waste by reducing spending 5 percent on programs rated (as mandated under the Government Performance and Results Act (Public Law 103-62)) ineffective by Office of Management and Budget Program Assessment Rating Tool)

On page 4, line 5, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 4, line 14, decrease the amount by $375,000,000.

On page 4, line 15, decrease the amount by $225,000,000.

On page 4, line 16, decrease the amount by $150,000,000.

On page 4, line 23, decrease the amount by $375,000,000.

On page 4, line 24, decrease the amount by $225,000,000.

On page 4, line 25, decrease the amount by $150,000,000.

On page 5, line 8, decrease the amount by $375,000,000.

On page 5, line 9, decrease the amount by $600,000,000.

On page 5, line 10, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 5, line 11, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 5, line 12, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 5, line 16, decrease the amount by $375,000,000.

On page 5, line 17, decrease the amount by $600,000,000.

On page 5, line 18, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 5, line 19, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 5, line 20, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 27, line 16, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 27, line 17, decrease the amount by $375,000,000.

On page 27, line 21, decrease the amount by $225,000,000.

On page 27, line 25, decrease the amount by $150,000,000.

On page 32, line 10, decrease the amount by $750,000,000.

On page 32, line 11, decrease the amount by $375,000,000.

Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I would ask Senator Allard to take a minute. I have called the amendment up. If the Senator will explain what it is.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado is recognized.

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, my amendment will cut the Federal deficit and eliminated Government waste by reducing spending 5 percent on programs rated ``ineffective'' by the OMB and use the savings to pay down the Federal debt.

Five percent is the expected increase under this budget. We are not cutting any programs or zeroing anything out, just saying that an ``ineffective'' rating probably means they do not deserve an increase.

The PART program was initiated by Congress, a result of the Government Performance and Results Act, Public Law No. 103-62. It is time we followed through on our efforts to increase Government accountability and efficiency. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

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