Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2027

Floor Speech

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Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Chair, the President made some simple promises to get elected: release the Epstein files, end forever wars, and reduce costs.

Instead, as we have seen, the administration has done the exact opposite, which has led to corruption, incompetence, and to increase costs, all demonstrating that this President does not care.

Yet, rather than pushback and prioritize the American people, it appears the majority does not care, as it has put forward a budget resolution that spends more and borrows more just to please the President and promote his pet projects.

This third budget resolution allows for another $95 billion to support the President's war in Iran, paper over damaging trade policies, and pass legislation that will deter legally eligible voters.

I remind my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that the purpose of the budget reconciliation process is supposed to be deficit reduction. Instead, this legislation expands long-term deficits and even violates legal requirements.

I get that for over the past decade Congress has abandoned any sense of normal budgeting process and rejected any talk of serious deficit reduction, but this budget could have been an opportunity for this Congress to advance policies that reduce our debt and actually make life more affordable.

Instead, the President, once again, pushed the Republican majority to put forward a purely partisan resolution that does nothing to lower costs, nothing to strengthen our economy, and in no way exercises fiscal responsibility.

Mr. Chair, that is why I am against this reconciliation legislation. It not only shows that the President doesn't care about Americans, but it also shows that the majority doesn't care about our growing debt and deficit and that Congress' responsibility is to the future of this country.

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