[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5196-5197]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS

  Mr. REID. Madam President, as the deadline looms, our budget 
negotiations continue nonstop. The Speaker and I met with the President 
yesterday morning, and we met with one another yesterday afternoon. As 
in any ongoing negotiation, the status of those talks is constantly 
evolving, but I will give the Senate a snapshot of where we stand at 
this moment in time.
  The bottom line has always been the same, and it is this: We want to 
avoid a shutdown. We want to pass a budget that makes smart cuts--cuts 
that save money but that don't cost jobs. This has been our bottom line 
throughout this process. So we have made some tough choices. We have 
made those choices because we know at this late stage of the game 
reality is more important than ideology. We know sacrifices are the 
cost of consensus, and we think they are worth it. Our bottom line 
hasn't changed because our objective hasn't changed. We want to keep 
the country running and keep the momentum of an economic recovery that 
is creating jobs.
  I wish I could say the same about those on the other side of the 
negotiating table. The Republicans' bottom line has changed at almost 
every turn. First, Republicans refused to negotiate until we tried it 
their way. We gave the reckless House-passed proposal a vote. The 
Senate resoundingly rejected it. Then, once talks began, Republicans 
staked out their position. They asked for $73 billion in cuts. When we 
said: Let's meet in the middle, they said no. Then we said: In the 
interest of getting this done, we will agree to your number, and they 
still said no. Republicans refused to take yes for an answer. Every 
time we have agreed to meet in the middle, they have moved where the 
middle is. They said no when we met them halfway, and now they say: It 
is our way or the highway.
  That is no way to move forward.
  People ask: Why is this so difficult? They ask: Can't you just get it 
done? I understand how they feel, and I share their frustrations, but 
this is why it is so tough. It is like trying to kick a field goal and 
the goalposts keep moving.
  The Democrats' bottom line has not changed. The Republicans' bottom 
line hasn't stayed still. Our bottom line hasn't changed because our 
priorities have not changed. We all want to lower the deficit. But 
Democrats will not sacrifice seniors' retirement security, women's 
health, our children's education, or our Nation's veterans. The cuts we 
make have to be smart cuts, and those aren't smart. They are radical. 
We want an agreement that is reasonable and responsible.
  I wish I could say the same about those on the other side of the 
negotiating table. They forget that not one of those people led us into 
a recession, and punishing seniors, women, children, and veterans will 
not lead us to a recovery. Their budget would cost 700,000 jobs and 
slow economic growth. It would take us backward, not forward. That is 
as counterproductive as it comes. The point of this entire exercise is 
to help the economy. Democrats won't stand for a budget that weakens 
it.
  Our bottom line--our strongest desire to reach an agreement--hasn't 
changed because our willingness to compromise hasn't changed. We long 
ago accepted the reality that getting something done means not getting 
100 percent of what we want. We long ago accepted the fact that the 
only way to reach consensus between a Democratic Senate and a 
Republican House is to compromise.
  I wish I could say the same about those on the other side of the 
negotiating table. The Republicans have demanded a budget that can pass 
with only Republican votes. Instead of seeking a bipartisan budget, 
they are actively seeking the opposite.
  The Republican leadership has the tea party screaming so loudly in 
their right ear that they can't hear what the vast majority of the 
country demands. The country demands that we get this done. As I have 
said before, the biggest gap in these negotiations isn't between 
Democrats and Republicans; it is between Republicans and Republicans. 
So

[[Page 5197]]

the Speaker has a choice to make and not much time to make it. He can 
either do what the tea party wants or what the country needs.
  Madam President, I will close with two pieces of advice that we would 
be wise to heed today, one from American history and one from ancient 
history.
  Henry Clay served in both Houses of Congress, in the House and in the 
Senate. He actually held the same seat the Republican leader now holds. 
He was a Senator from Kentucky. He also held the same gavel Speaker 
Boehner now holds at three different times. Henry Clay served as 
Speaker of the House, I repeat, on three separate occasions. In his 
esteemed career, he earned the nickname ``The Great Compromiser.'' So 
Henry Clay knew what he was talking about when he said:

       All legislation is founded upon the principle of mutual 
     concession.

  This legislation--this budget--is no exception. But it is important 
to remember that the most important word in that quote isn't 
``concession,'' it is ``mutual.''
  We all have a responsibility to be reasonable, which brings me to the 
second piece of advice: To everything there is a season. To paraphrase 
a passage we all know well, a passage much older than the old statesman 
Henry Clay, there is a time to campaign and a time to govern. There is 
a time to be partisans and a time to be partners. We stand here with 
less than 72 hours on the clock. It is time to get to work. It is time 
to get the job done. This is the season for action.
  Will the Chair now announce morning business, please.

                          ____________________