[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 26 (Wednesday, March 3, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H756-H757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THANKING THE PRESIDENT FOR IDENTIFYING AMERICA'S PRIORITIES IN HIS 
                                 BUDGET

  (Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

[[Page H757]]

  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the 
President for clearly identifying America's priorities in his fiscal 
year 2005 budget. There is no doubt that we are in a time of war and I 
am pleased President Bush's budget sent a clear signal that our 
Nation's defense and homeland security must remain the top priority of 
the Federal Government. However, I believe we can and must do more.
  That is why last week I introduced an updated version of legislation 
that I introduced last year, the Common Sense Spending Act. This 
legislation will continue to fund nondefense, nonhomeland security and 
hold discretionary spending at fiscal year 2004 levels for the next 
year, then increase at the rate of inflation over the next 4 years. It 
is all common sense. The spending act will slow the growth of mandatory 
spending by 1 percent, holding Social Security harmless, and 
reauthorizes PAYGO requiring offsets for direct spending. It also 
tightens the definition of emergency spending. Again, it is all common 
sense.
  Mr. Speaker, if Members are serious about getting control of Federal 
spending, then I ask them to join me in support of the Common Sense 
Spending Act. It is time to limit our spending to reflect the 
priorities we have set.

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