[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 11537]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, just very briefly, I want to comment on the 
supplemental appropriations bill we passed yesterday morning.
  I commend Senator Cochran and really both of the managers, and all of 
our colleagues, as well as the House, and especially Congressman Lewis, 
for their leadership in crafting a package that reflects our commitment 
to economic growth, that keeps America moving forward, that is fiscally 
responsible.
  As the majority says time and time again, the Federal budget is not 
the Government's money. It is the taxpayers' money. Americans work hard 
to get what they earn. And it is our responsibility to spend that money 
wisely, appropriately.
  That is why we are working hard to crack down on excessive Washington 
spending. And I think the way that supplemental bill was handled from 
the beginning, and especially at the end, reflects that fiscal 
responsibility. As we all know, that bill did reflect a lot of 
priorities of this body, but it grew and grew and grew. Once that bill 
was taken to conference, under the leadership of Chairman Cochran and 
Congressman Lewis, it was scaled back down to meet the specific 
guidelines and request of the President of the United States. I think 
we exercised fiscal restraint and responsibility, but still there is a 
lot more we do need to do in terms of demonstrating that fiscal 
restraint and that responsibility.
  One of our big challenges is the fact that much of our spending is on 
autopilot. We see that in our entitlement programs. Also, our budgetary 
process--the way it is conducted--leaves little time for oversight as 
to the spending.
  I mention that because I want to express my strong support for the 
efforts of our budget chairman, Senator Gregg, for an act that is 
called the SOS Act, called the Stop Overspending Act, that will be 
marked up by his committee, addressed in his committee next week. What 
it is--and he introduced it to many of us this week--is a broad package 
on the budgetary process. It is a package of reforms that will tamp 
down on and give us the tools and ways to control excessive spending.
  It adopts the President's proposal to establish a legislative line-
item veto. It would reestablish spending caps which have been used 
effectively in the past. It initiates across-the-board reductions in 
entitlement spending if the Federal deficit fails to meet specific 
established targets.
  It includes a proposal I have been very supportive of and introduced 
actually when I first arrived in the Senate to put the budget on a 2-
year budget cycle, thereby giving us time for appropriate oversight.
  I realize enacting this entire bold package--comprehensive in many 
ways, this SOS package--would be a huge challenge, particularly in 
Washington where the forces of spending from below, from within, remain 
so strong. But achieving even one of the reforms or, hopefully, several 
of the reforms of this package would be a major victory in the battle 
to control spending. It is my goal to accomplish just that before I 
leave the Senate.
  So just like every family has to make tough tradeoffs and live within 
their means, Congress should, too.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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