[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 2974]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SPENDING

  Mr. KIRK. Madam President, I rise to support this continuing 
resolution. As we know, the Senate is set to pass a short-term funding 
bill, while negotiations continue on a longer term funding bill for the 
rest of the year.
  The administration has presented us with a request also to fund the 
government next year and is expected to ask for an increase in the 
Federal debt ceiling. This legislation cuts about $4 billion. Up 
against our annual deficit or the total debt, it is but a microdrop in 
the budget.
  The Federal Government is on track to spend about $3.7 trillion this 
fiscal year, while taking in only $2.2 trillion in revenue. If we 
compared this to a middle-class example, it would be as if someone was 
spending $37,000 a year, with an income of only $22,000.
  Replace ``thousand'' for ``trillion'' and you get a good idea of how 
fiscally irresponsible the Federal Government has become. We have a $14 
trillion debt and, as we all know now, we are borrowing 40 cents of 
every $1 we spend. Clearly, there is a growing danger in the country 
from tremendous debt and runaway spending. It is this resolution that 
will help in a very small way to put us on a better track.
  I encourage us to use a multipronged approach as we move forward. We 
need to reverse the current spending trend of the Congress. We need to 
address long-term obligations and put statutory backstops into place to 
make sure it will be very difficult for future Congresses to do what 
past Congresses have done.
  As a very new member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will 
be asking Federal agencies to identify further programs and ways to 
reduce Federal spending. The administration has been on the right track 
in several key areas. They have proposed to cut or terminate almost 150 
discretionary programs that would save about $21 billion and defense 
programs that would save about $25 billion. But that savings should be 
put to reducing our total need to borrow and not bumped back into 
additional spending by the government.
  Additionally, we need to incorporate what we just learned from the 
Government Accountability Office about inefficient and duplicative 
areas of the Federal budget. GAO's recommendations for consolidations 
and eliminating programs should be fully reviewed and, in many places, 
implemented for next year's budget.
  Treasury Secretary Geithner will soon ask the Congress to increase 
the allowable Federal debt a fourth time for the last 2 years. In my 
judgment, Congress should say no unless such an increase is coupled 
with new and dramatic antispending reforms that would make any future 
additions to our debt nearly impossible.
  While defaulting on U.S. bonds is not an option, Congress must tie 
future debt limit extensions to reforms that produce much smaller and 
smarter government. As Indiana's Governor Daniels has said: ``You will 
never know how much government you won't miss.''
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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