[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 40 (Friday, March 23, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S2801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               THE BUDGET

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I wanted to speak for a few moments as 
if in morning business to talk about the budget and what the 
distinguished Senator from New Mexico is proposing.
  I was privileged to be in a briefing to learn what the committee is 
looking at. It was discussed earlier on the floor that the bill is 
going to come straight out of committee.
  I am pleased that is going to happen because I would like to have 
just as much say in the budget as would any Member of the Senate. We 
will have 30 or 50 hours of debate. We will have plenty of time to 
discuss our priorities. But with this evenly divided Senate, more and 
more, all of us are going to have the opportunity on the floor to have 
our input rather than not have it come to the floor and bog down the 
process.
  I am very pleased with what we are hearing. I am very pleased that we 
are bringing the budget up on an expedited basis because I think we 
need to move swiftly. Our country is looking at an economic downturn. 
Many people think it is a recession. I hope it isn't. But, 
nevertheless, I think action is needed. I think action on behalf of the 
American people is warranted at this time.
  I think setting the budget and determining what our priority 
expenditures are going to be and looking at giving tax relief to 
American workers at this time is even more important than it was when 
we first introduced the idea because many of us believe that having 
this huge budget surplus sitting in Washington, DC, is certainly not 
good economic policy and it isn't good fiscal policy.
  It is time for us to make sure the money that is sitting in 
Washington, DC, in excess of what is needed for the running of our 
Government be put back in the pocketbooks of the people of this 
country.

  I am very pleased we are working on an expedited basis. I am pleased 
we are going to take up a budget. I am pleased Senator Domenici, the 
leader of the Budget Committee, is pushing right now, right this 
minute, for an immediate tax relief plan--something that people will 
see is going to come. They will know for sure that is going to come, 
and that it will come, hopefully, on an expedited basis.
  I am very proud the Budget Committee is moving forward in this 
fashion. I am so proud of our leadership. I hope we can work with the 
other side of the aisle so all of us will have equal input in the 30 to 
50 hours of debate that we have on the budget resolution so we can 
establish our priorities; so we can preserve Medicare; so we can have 
real Medicare reform to include prescription drugs; so we can have the 
new added expenditures that we know we are going to need to upgrade the 
quality of life for those serving in our military; and so we can 
increase spending on public education to make sure every child has a 
quality public education, which is the foundation for democracy.
  I think we will have those added expenditures and we will have tax 
relief for the American people.
  If we can take up this budget resolution a week from Monday, we will 
do it on an expedited basis.
  I am proud of Senator Domenici and the leadership of the Budget 
Committee. I am proud of our leadership and their working with our 
President to make sure we have tax relief for hard-working Americans.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor.

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