Chairman Graham Speaks on Senate Floor Ahead of Budget Resolution Vote-A-Rama

WASHINGTON
– U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today discussed the Senate’s budget resolution on the floor ahead of a series of amendment votes, known as a “vote-a-rama.”
The
FY 2025 budget resolution
is the blueprint for a fully paid for reconciliation bill to secure the border, bolster our military and increase American energy independence.
GRAHAM:
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re about to embark on a plan to jumpstart the most transformational border security bill in the history of the United States.”
https://youtu.be/kTL4bsK4Ocw?si=VbtsDF7FYYnNvWwd&t=181
GRAHAM
: “To my House colleagues: I prefer one big beautiful bill that makes the tax cuts permanent, that does the things we need to do on the border and with our military, and cuts spending. I wish you all the best. I prefer what you’re doing to what we’re doing. But we have to have a Plan B if you can’t get it done soon.”
https://youtu.be/kTL4bsK4Ocw?si=wWf9O68lULEXv4mh&t=494
GRAHAM:
“Democrats used this very process to pass Obamacare and the Inflation Reduction Act. We’re going to use it to secure our border.”
https://youtu.be/kTL4bsK4Ocw?si=adpwaHyIKfY56ux1&t=164
GRAHAM
: “[This resolution] allows the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee to come up with a… $175 billion plan to secure our border… Those two committees will work with the Trump Administration to meet their priorities.”
https://youtu.be/kTL4bsK4Ocw?si=IPqK3eSDWTNnmcdJ&t=44
GRAHAM
: “There’s $150 billion in increased defense spending. Why? Because we have a lot of threats.”
https://youtu.be/kTL4bsK4Ocw?si=pwuu1tJF0NDoyHAJ&t=74
GRAHAM:
“This idea that there is somehow money in this resolution for Ukraine… is not true… It’s up to the [authorizing] committees as to what is in the… package. To all my colleagues here, you’ll eventually get to vote on that work product.”
https://youtu.be/kTL4bsK4Ocw?si=VbtsDF7FYYnNvWwd&t=122
GRAHAM:
“We’re telling the Armed Services Committee, spend $150 billion the way you see fit [to bolster the U.S. military]. We’re telling two committees to spend $175 billion [total] to secure our border. And we’re telling seven other committees find savings inside your committee to offset the spending we’re creating in this bill. I think they can do that. I think what DOGE is doing is good. This is a form of that. Every committee that’s been instructed to save at least $1 billion will be able – finally – to…reduce spending because we are directing them to.”
https://youtu.be/kTL4bsK4Ocw?si=jTegJ7L2YZIuCa_l&t=364