[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4445-H4446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          WHERE'S THE BUDGET?

  (Mr. PETRI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, each and every year since passage of the 
Budget Reform Act of 1974, this House has managed to produce a budget 
resolution, a document necessary for responsible governing--each and 
every year except this one.
  What's the problem? In addition to outlining spending for the year 
ahead, budget resolutions include plans for multiple years, laying out 
anticipated spending and revenue and calculating anticipated deficits 
and surpluses. If the House were to pass a 2011 budget resolution, it 
would establish as official House policy that we will run enormous 
deficits for as far as the eye can see, but several Democrats here are 
reluctant to associate themselves with

[[Page H4446]]

such an irresponsible document. Of course it's theoretically possible 
that the current House majority could propose a budget resolution 
mapping a path back to balanced budgets. But no. Substantial numbers of 
the Democrats here think we should be spending more, not less.
  With Members in the majority party pulling in opposite directions, 
the majority leadership appears to have given up on finding the votes 
necessary to pass an official budget whether big spending or 
responsible. This is a failure of mammoth proportions.

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