Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2012

Floor Speech

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Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Chairman, the point was made earlier that the Progressive Caucus' budget, which addresses a gas tax, is somehow not a good thing to deal with our Nation. But the infrastructure needs of our country, over $3 trillion--according to the Society of Engineers, says that we need $3 trillion in infrastructure spending.

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Mr. ELLISON. I have a question for the gentleman: When does the Ryan budget create a surplus?

Mr. ROKITA. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. ELLISON. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. ROKITA. The budget proposed and voted on by the committee--

Mr. ELLISON. I reclaim my time.

Mr. ROKITA. Do you want me to answer the question or not?

Mr. ELLISON. I will yield for an answer to the question, not for a filibuster.

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Mr. ELLISON. I asked the gentleman when the Ryan budget created a surplus. He could have given me a year; he didn't. That's because he's probably embarrassed about when that is.

Let me tell you when the Progressive Caucus budget comes to surplus: 2021. That is known as a responsible budget. We are making a surplus by 2021. And by the way, that is Heritage Foundation mathematics. It's not $16 trillion; it is $3.9 trillion over 10 years.

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Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Chair, the people's budget contains a provision for infrastructure development and the National Infrastructure Bank. I want to agree wholeheartedly with Congressman Blumenauer. We can not only put America back to work but we can strengthen the infrastructure that will make it safe to go across a bridge. We cannot neglect the bridges and the roads, the high-speed optical fiber cables and all these things that our country needs for a 21st century infrastructure. It's a jobs program. The people's budget is talking about jobs.

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