Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2009 -- Continued
Floor Speech
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009--Continued -- (Senate - March 12, 2008)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss my concerns with the fiscal year 2009 budget resolution. This is a budget that says tax revenue will go up by $1.2 trillion. Most of this is going to come by eliminating tax relief, commonly known as the Bush tax cuts.
Let me be clear: The people of Wyoming do not believe eliminating the President's tax cuts and dramatically increasing Federal spending is the right prescription for our economy. I would go so far as to say this budget does exactly the opposite of what is needed. This budget will send the wrong signal to small investors. The budget will send the wrong signal to ranchers. This budget will send the wrong signal to farmers. This budget will send the wrong signal to small business owners all across Wyoming.
This budget sends a message the Federal Government is going to take more from them. It will take more from them at a time when they believe--rightly so--that they have already been hit too hard. In fact, 43 million American families with children will pay an additional $2,300 out of their pockets each year if these tax cuts are eliminated. Twenty-three hundred dollars is not a small amount of money--not a small amount at all to the working families of Casper or Cheyenne or Rock Springs or Cody or Sundance. Twenty-three hundred dollars goes a long way in Wyoming, a long way toward paying a year's tuition at the University of Wyoming. Eliminating the tax cuts would cost 27 million small business owners $4,100 a year. Now, that is money that could be used for Christmas bonuses or well-deserved raises.
In Wyoming, we believe the best way to achieve economic progress is to have the Government get out of the way. That is the spirit that powers Wyoming.
In Wyoming, there is a monument to President Abraham Lincoln. It is on Route I-80, between Cheyenne and Laramie, and there is a plaque on the monument. The plaque says: ``It is time to think anew and act anew.'' That is what I believe is needed to reform the way Washington works.
In Wyoming, where I served as a State senator, we had a budget session every 2 years. It is another area where Wyoming gets it right and Washington gets it wrong. In Wyoming, it works so well that the budget session lasts only 20 days. The Wyoming way is a much better way to deal with government spending.
In Wyoming, we actually balance our budget every year. The Wyoming way would free up Congress to work on things such as making Washington work better for our country. The Wyoming way would make Washington work on finding solutions to problems, rather than always reaching into people's wallets and pocketbooks.
It is time for Washington to get its house in order. This means extending the President's tax cuts. This is the way to actually bring in more revenue to the Treasury. To get Washington's fiscal house in order also means addressing spending on entitlements. This budget not only fails to do that, it actually makes matters worse. This budget allows entitlement spending to grow by $488 billion over 5 years. This is leveraging our children's future, young men and women of America, such as the pages who work in this very room. We are leveraging this on their future. Now, I do not wish to stifle the progress of future generations, such as these fine individuals, because of the mistakes of this Congress. Let us get Government out of the way so we can unlock the American entrepreneurial spirit. It is that spirit that made this country an economic leader in the first place.
I would also like to take a few moments to discuss three amendments that have been filed. Two amendments have been filed by me, and the third is an amendment filed by Senator Mike Enzi, my colleague from Wyoming, and it is an amendment which I have cosponsored.
My first amendment relates to the issue of Federal mandates. This amendment would provide $50 million to help States comply with regulations of the Endangered Species Act. It is my hope these funds could be distributed to the cities, the counties, to ranchers, to small business owners, all who have to comply with the ever-increasing, unfunded Federal mandates of the Endangered Species Act. The offset is provided through an across-the-board budget cut through function 920.
A vast array of species can be found in my home State of Wyoming. Among these are the sage-grouse, the grizzly bear, the pygmy rabbit, the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, the white and black tail prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret, and the Canadian grey wolf. Many of these species are in the process of either being listed or delisted under the Endangered Species Act. But we have found there is one resource Wyoming doesn't have enough of, and that is Federal funds to protect, to manage, and to recover these species as is required by Federal law.
Trust me when I say the people of Wyoming love our State's natural heritage. We believe we are in the best position to manage and protect our resources without the redtape and the regulations of the Federal Government. But that is not the reality we and other States face today. The Federal Government often, as a result of Federal lawsuits, is placing even additional new mandates on the States. As long as they are, the Federal Government has an obligation to provide funds with those mandates.
I am pleased my good friend, Senator Enzi, is cosponsoring this amendment with me, and I urge its adoption.
My second amendment would provide funding for salt cedar and Russian olive removal along America's rivers, streams, and tributaries. These two plants are nonnative, invasive species that are destroying riparian ecosystems across vast areas of the West. As the arid West continues to struggle with ongoing drought, salt cedar and Russian olive are invading the land and they are replacing native species all along the West's watershed. Entire ecosystems are being dramatically altered. Salt cedar and Russian olive drain valuable water flow from rivers and from streams. It is estimated that one Russian olive tree can use 500 gallons of water a day, while some estimates place water use by a mature salt cedar plant at more than 200 gallons a day.
The Presiding Officer knows that one of the West's most important natural resources--water--is under attack. Removal of these species to protect our water is a monumental undertaking but one we can no longer afford to avoid. Private landowners, local and State officials, as well as Federal agencies have an interest in addressing the problem. Recent pilot projects to eliminate these species on watersheds in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska have been underway for a few years. Improvements in waterflow and the overall ecosystem and the quality of those areas have been dramatic. Success, however, can only be achieved if all interests in the watershed participate in eliminating these species.
My amendment is simple. Congress has already authorized a program to fight this battle. My amendment would direct money within that program to improve the ecosystem and waterflow along the Platte River. Wyoming is under a Federal decree to provide more acre feet of water from the Platte River to help wildlife in Nebraska. By removing these invasive species that capture so much water from the river, we can help alleviate this Federal obligation on Wyoming's residents.
Water is a precious resource. It is time we begin reclaiming our watersheds from the invasion of nonnatural species. I would encourage all Members of this body to support the amendment.
Finally, I wish to discuss a Federal budget issue about which I am deeply passionate, as are all the people across the State of Wyoming. The Federal Government should not be picking the pockets of States to balance the Federal budget. I am not talking about Federal commitments to spending programs; I am talking about a Federal commitment to share revenue; specifically, revenue generated from mineral resource development.
The Presiding Officer is very familiar with this. He knows, as do I, that States with Federal mineral extraction benefit from economic development. He also knows these benefits are not generated without significant impacts to local infrastructure and to public services. These revenues pay for vital State and local government services. Revenue sharing has traditionally been a clear 50-50 division. It is a division between the States and the Federal Government. In fact, current Federal law prohibits Federal administrative deductions.
Apparently, that prohibition is not enough. In the fiscal year 2008 omnibus bill, Congress included a 1-year formula change, reducing the amount paid to the States and increasing the amount flowing to the Federal Treasury. The lost revenue for the States came at the expense of funding for local schools, roads, water systems, and other basic services provided by the States.
I am pleased to join my colleague from Wyoming, Senator Mike Enzi, in cosponsoring his budget amendment that addresses this Federal grab. I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me in this as a matter of principle. I have listened to speeches on this floor all week advocating for increases for one program or for another. Senator Enzi's amendment simply recognizes that States--not Washington--are capable and are well suited to make spending decisions.
State legislatures can provide, if they want to, more for education, highways, and law enforcement. But they cannot make these decisions if the Federal Government continues to withhold the State's share of these revenues.
Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support Senator Enzi's amendment.
I yield the floor.
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