[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015

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                               speech of

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 8, 2014

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H. Con. Res. 96) 
     establishing the budget for the United States Government for 
     fiscal year 2015 and setting forth appropriate budgetary 
     levels for fiscal years 2016 through 2024:

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chair, a number of political pundits have asked why 
House Republicans are advancing a budget this year considering the 
House and Senate have already agreed upon a top-level budgetary 
baseline for the upcoming fiscal year. Apparently, Senate Democrats 
agree with these pundits and have announced that they will not produce 
a budget. Clearly, these pundits and Senate Democrats have been in 
Washington for far too long.
  The American people did not send us to Congress to look for shortcuts 
and to find the easy way out. Last year's budget agreement did not 
magically solve our fiscal challenges, so we need to roll up our 
sleeves and get to work.
  Thankfully, under the leadership of Budget Committee Chairman Paul 
Ryan, House Republicans are doing just that. Our budget makes the tough 
decisions necessary to grow our economy by curbing the growth of 
federal spending and making critical reforms to our entitlement 
programs.
  Critics of the Republican budget call our spending cuts draconian. On 
the current path, spending will grow, on average, by 5.2 percent a year 
over the next decade. Under this budget, spending will grow, on 
average, by 3.5 percent a year. That's not austerity, that's 
responsibility.
  Our budget does cut $5.1 trillion in spending and balances over the 
next ten years--without raising taxes. On the other hand, the 
Democrat's budget raises taxes by $1.8 trillion, increases spending by 
$740 billion more than current policy, while growing our annual deficit 
to $637 billion in 2024.
  While the differences between our budgetary priorities are clear, it 
is essential that both sides of the aisle work together and build upon 
last year's budget agreement. Moving back to regular order of approving 
a budget and advancing the annual individual appropriations bills is 
the best form of governance possible. Every year, our federal agencies 
and programs need to be closely examined so that we can remove any 
waste, fraud, abuse or inefficiencies.
  Mr. Chair, the budget before us is an important step towards 
establishing a responsible fiscal foundation for the next fiscal year 
as well as the years to come. I look forward to working with my 
colleagues on the House Budget Committee and Appropriations Committee 
in executing the vision and priorities laid out in this budget.
  I once again want to thank Chairman Ryan for his thoughtful, 
dedicated work on this budget, which will be his last as Chairman, and 
I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

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