Senate Proceeding on Apr 14th, 2011 :: 6:26:20 to 6:31:40
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6:26:17 to 6:26:37( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: mr. cochran: madam president? the senator from mississippi. mr. cochran: madam president, as ranking member of the committee on appropriations, i regret that the senate must consider in mid-april an appropriations bill for a fiscal year that is already half over.

6:26:20 to 6:31:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Thad Cochran

6:26:38 to 6:26:58( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: it disturbs me that we have subjected the federal government to eight short-term continuing resolutions over the past six months. such measures are inefficient, add hidden costs to federal contracts and procurements and make it difficult for state and

6:26:59 to 6:27:21( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: local governments to plan effectively. such measures also have a detrimental impact on the morale of the federal work force, including our men and women in uniform, who last week, even while engaged in hostilities overseas, were left wondering

6:27:22 to 6:27:46( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: about their next paycheck. however, this delay has made possible significant spending reductions. the bill cuts $38 billion from the spending levels in place at the beginning of this congress. it also cuts $78 billion from the president's fiscal year 2011

6:27:47 to 6:28:08( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: budget request. these reductions in spending will compound over time and, if sustained, will result in a significant reduction in our national debt. these reductions don't come without consequences, however. the bill cuts programs that are important both nationally and in

6:28:09 to 6:28:30( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: my state of mississippi. this bill contains rescissions of funds that i once fought hard to appropriate but which have not been spent for a variety of reasons. in many cases, we don't yet know the precise impacts of the various cuts because so much discretion is left to the

6:28:31 to 6:28:53( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: implementing agencies. we all recognize, however, that sacrifices must be made in order to achieve the greater good of fiscal solvency. we also recognize that the bill is only one step toward addressing our nation's debt problem. though discretionary spending

6:28:54 to 6:29:14( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: will be an important component of any solution to that problem, we will fail to solve it if we focus on discretionary spending alone. hopefully, the agreement reached on this bill will lay a foundation for the much more difficult decisions on

6:29:15 to 6:29:35( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: entitlements and taxes that lie ahead. we also we also realize that some will think this bill cuts far too little and some who think it cuts too much. i suspect that individually each of us could write spending bills at much lower levels than are contained in this legislation.

6:29:36 to 6:29:58( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: we could fund those things we deem to be priorities and significantly cut back or eliminate the rest. but this legislation inch stead represents the priority -- but this legislation instead represents the priorities of the people as negotiated by their duly elected representatives,

6:29:59 to 6:30:21( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: senators, and the president. on balance, the process has worked well. but without a budget resolution or any agreement on an appropriate topline discretionary spending level, there was little agreement on the level of funding in appropriations bills 6789 as a result, we are once again

6:30:22 to 6:30:42( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: presented with a single trillion dollar package that no senator has had an opportunity to amend. the bill gives enormous flexibility to the executive branch because it does not contain the detailed directives typically found in appropriations bills and the reports.

6:30:43 to 6:31:05( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: and of course, madam president, it is six months late. i hope that in the coming months congress and the president will reach consensus on a budget plan that will address each of the major drivers our current fiscal imbalance, including discretionary spending.

6:31:06 to 6:31:27( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: if we need to find a way to bring fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills to the floor, we should do so individually and get them to conference with the other body. i believe that such a process would provide needed constraints on spending levels while

6:31:28 to 6:31:41( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: allowing all members to influence the content of the individual bills. madam president, i will vote for this bill, and i urge the senate