mr. speaker , the budget resolution sets the priorities of the congress .  it is a moral compass for what we stand for , what we believe in .  it shows if our priorities are in the right place .  it shows whether we are going to provide for the less fortunate or if we will continue to reward the rich and the powerful at the expense of people in need .  the mundane minutia that are detailed as budget authority and outlays are actually the blueprints of our nation .  i do not like what the republicans are building .  they are creating a government without a conscience .  the republicans control the white house , they control the senate , and they control the house of representatives .  it is their agenda that determines the future direction of this country .  that agenda includes slashing medicaid , food stamps , education programs and veterans benefits .  that agenda includes protecting tax breaks for the very wealthy in this country .  that agenda also includes privatizing social security .  today , they will have an opportunity to put their vote where their rhetoric is .  as we just heard , the gentleman from colorado ( mr. salazar )  has introduced a bill that frames this issue plainly , that no payroll taxes may be diverted to privatize social security .  mr. speaker , i oppose privatization as do most if not all of my democratic colleagues .  the position of our republican friends is not quite as clear .  they say that all options are on the table and that they are open to listening to various ideas .  they talk about the impending doom facing social security , creating a crisis out of thin air .  they extol the virtues of wall street .  they are desperately trying to find a way to make social security privatization more palatable .  their problem is that the more the american people learn about privatization , the less they like it .  i believe that social security is a sacred compact between the federal government and senior citizens .  it is an insurance program , a safety net intended to keep our senior citizens out of poverty .  it has worked for 60 years .  the privatizers want to unravel that safety net .  they want to slash guaranteed benefits , run up trillions of dollars in debt and decrease the solvency of the trust fund .  that is their plan .  today we will have a chance to see if those privatizers have the courage of their convictions .  so far , we have not seen that courage , because the budget resolution before us does not include the trillions of dollars in transition costs required to privatize social security .  the republican majority claims to support the president 's privatization scheme .  they say they want to do it this congress .  but they are not willing to put it in a budget .  maybe the vote on the previous question will help them .  if you believe as i do that we must not privatize social security , then you must vote `` no '' on the previous question .  if you believe in privatizing social security , then you will vote `` yes '' on the previous question .  it is that simple .  social security does face long-term funding challenges .  everyone recognizes that .  as democrats , we stand willing to work in a bipartisan way to meet those challenges .  but we will not stand idly by and let the republican majority destroy social security in the name of saving it .  i urge my colleagues to say no to privatizing social security by voting `` no '' on the previous question .  mr. speaker , i reserve the balance of my time .  