mr. chairman , i can not vote for this budget resolution . 
it does reflect the priorities of the republican leadership , but i do not think those are the right priorities for our country . 
over the last five years the federal budget has gone from projected surpluses to undeniable deficits . 
the result has been to reverse a decade of progress that saw the budget go from the $ 290 billion deficit when president clinton took office to a surplus of $ 236 billion in 2000 , which was where things stood when the current president bush came to office . 
unfortunately , the combination of recession , the need to increase spending for defense and homeland security , and excessive and unbalanced tax cuts have taken us to the largest deficits in our nation 's history -- a $ 375 billion deficit two years ago , a deficit of $ 412 billion last year , and for this year , according to the bush administration itself , a deficit of $ 427 billion . 
that is three record-setting years in a row . 
and , regrettably , the budget resolution before us reflects the proposals of the bush administration -- and we know , or should know , what that means . 
according to the nonpartisan congressional budget office , following the path suggested by the bush administration and this budget resolution will add $ 5.135 trillion to our national debt over the next 10 years . 
i do not think this is the right way to go . 
that is why i voted for the more responsible and better balanced alternative offered by the distinguished gentleman from south carolina , mr. spratt . 
that alternative budget combined a balanced budget , real budget discipline , and protection for social security while still providing the same resources for defense and homeland security as the republican budget . 
the alternative also would have provided more resources for important priorities and would have laid the basis for more responsible tax policy . 
it was better fiscally and better in terms of the education of our children , the health care of our veterans , the development of our communities , and the quality of our environment . 
it would have brought spending in the domestic discretionary accounts back to baseline , that is , to current services , enough to prevent them from being eroded away by inflation , but not any significant increase . 
unfortunately , that alternative was not adopted , and the only remaining choice is to vote for or against the republican leadership 's proposal . 
because i am convinced that it is not right for our communities or our country , i must vote against it . 
