let us not lose sight of the fact that we were each selected to represent the people of this state by participating in our democratic process. i applaud the state assembly and those in the state senate who are here in this chamber today for not losing sight of that. over the last few weeks, a great deal of attention has been focused on wisconsin. that is ok because freedom thrives each time there is a passionate debate in our society. passion and civility can go hand-in-hand and that is what is on display here in wisconsin. but outside observers need to know that there's more to this state as well. wisconsin is filled with outstanding workers and multi- generational employers. we have tremendous resources and amazing attractions. most importantly, we have decent people in this state. the good people of this state

come from all walks of life -- young and old, urban and rural, democratic and republican. recently i learned of another story that affirms that sense of decency. some of our state employees at the farm center spent time with two brothers who jointly operate a dairy farm on the verge of fallen -- a financial collapse. one of the brothers was considering some horrible options. but farm center staff calmly walked the brothers through a variety of options and got them through the immediate crisis. that day our public employees not only helped someone slide, they may have actually helped save someone's life. the story says a lot about the people of wisconsin. it's certainly reinforces the financial strain that so many are experiencing across the state. it shows the compassion of our people toward their fellow citizens. it shows the professionalism of our public employees who really do care about the people that

they serve. this is why we need to move this process forward and get this state working again. i have been asked over the past week about what happens next. i am an optimist. i believe that after our budget repair bill passes, tempers will cool and we will find a way to continue to work together to help grow our economy. we will position wisconsin to emerge from this economic downturn stronger than ever, with new opportunities for our workers and our families. for six weeks we worked together to pass bill after bill to show wisconsin is open for business. most of our legislation received bipartisan support. it is my belief that we will soon get back to that type of cooperation here in the capital.

we introduced a budget repair bill that is the first of toward addressing the long-term challenges facing our state, while laying the foundation for economic growth. the biennial budget i introduce today is built on the savings supplied by our budget repair bill, legislation that we have already modified to address concerns expressed at the public hearing. we need the savings in the budget repair bill because wisconsin faces a $3.6 billion deficit. too many politicians have failed to tell the truth about our financial crisis. they left wisconsinites in the dark about the extent of our fiscal problem. the facts are clear -- wisconsin is broke and it is time to start paying our bills today so our kids are not stuck with even bigger bills tomorrow.

this deficit did not appear overnight. wisconsin got here through a reliance on one-time fixes, accounting gimmicks, and tax increases. previous governors and legislators from both political parties took money from our tobacco settlement, raided more than a billion dollars from the transportation fund and $200 million from the patients compensation fund. the increased taxes on the sick and set up shell games to draw down additional funds. the ever taught -- they relied on one-time federal stimulus money as if it would be there forever, but it is already gone. wisconsin owes minnesota nearly $60 million and some $200 million to the patients compensation fund.

they governed for the short- term, with an eye only on the next election, not the next generation. all families across the state were focused on making ends meet, the state government continued to grow well beyond our taxpayers ability to pay. but the time has come for us to make the tough decisions necessary to put our state back on the path to prosperity. we must work together to bring our spending in line with reality. we were elected not to make the easy decisions to benefit ourselves, but to make the difficult ones that will benefit our children and our grandchildren. we need a commitment to the future so our children do not face even more dire consequences than what we face today.

together we will change the way government works in wisconsin. we will make it work for the people once again. i have often repeated references to our state's constitutional lesson, that it is through frugality and moderation in government that we will see freedom and prosperity for our people. our budget holds true to these principles by balancing the $3.6 billion deficit through permanent spending reductions and innovative government reforms. specifically, our budget reduces all funds spending by $4.2 billion, or 6.7%, and decreases the structural deficit by 90% from $2.5 billion to $250 million, the lowest structural deficit in recent history.

that is over $2 billion we are saving from future obligations and for future generations. that is worth repeating. our budget reduces the structural deficit by 90%. in fact, it is lower than the last eight budgets presented by democrats and republicans alike. going to the segregated fund raids, illegal transfers, and accounting gimmicks. gone are the tax or fee

increases. our state cannot grow if our people are weighed down paying for a larger government, one that pays its workers unsustainable benefits out of line with the private sector. we need a leaner and cleaner state government. as we decrease in state spending, we also increase flexibility so local and state government have the tools to deal with reduced revenue. it is true -- we are reducing aid to local government by just over $1.25 billion, but we are providing almost $1.5 billion in savings through our budget repair bill. if the 14 senate democrats do not come home, their local communities will be forced to manage these reductions in aid

without the benefit of the tools provided in the repair bill. on the other hand, if the senate democrats do come home, local units -- local units of government overall will see a net crease in revenue plus savings of more than $150 million. let me repeat that -- despite the reductions in our budget, local governments would gain $150 million overall in the next biennium, but only if the senate is allowed to act. while aid to local government represents the state's largest expenditure, the state's medicare program -- medicaid program represents the area of fastest growth. he continues to outstrip growth in general fund revenues. long-term care expenditures in particular are growing faster than other areas of the budget. coupled with the use of $1.2 billion in one-time federal funding, the state is facing an unsustainable budget challenge in need of a serious and long-

term solution. o maintaining services for our most vulnerable, we must also refocus on service and find efficiencies where possible. at wal-mart -- will mean asking people to pay modest co pays and premiums as they transition from the safety net that these programs provide to gainful employment. this will allow those individuals to begin to transition to a time in the future when they no longer lead government support, while protecting those who need these services the most. just as we reform our entitlement programs for the 21st century, we must also reform our education system. clearly we have to produce graduates who are able to compete, not only with their peers from chicago or des moines, but also from shanghai or sydney. and we must do so while we balance a $3.6 billion deficit. that is why even as we reduce school aids, overall we give schools across the state the tools to make up for those

reductions with even greater savings through the budget repair bill. again, this is why it is so vitally important for the senate democrats to come back home and do their jobs. if they do not, our schools face massive layoffs of teachers. however, if they do come back, overall savings for schools across the state will outweigh reductions, ultimately allowing schools to put more money directly into the classroom. when i campaigned for governor, i set out as a goal that all wisconsin third graders should be ready to read -- to learn that the third grade level. many have noted that from kindergarten to third grade, our kids learn to read and from 3rd grade on, they use reading to

learn. we need to make sure that every child can read as they move on from 3rd grade. that is why my budget creates a third grade reading initiative that will require all third graders to achieve basic literacy. i know we can do this, and we owe it to our students to make sure that we do. in addition, we will expand choice and charter programs to insure that every kid, every kid gets a great education no matter what zip code they live in. we lift the cap on the number of students eligible to practice -- to participate in the milwaukee parental choice program and phase out the income eligibility limits. across the state, we allow any university of wisconsin system four-year campus to create a charter school. competing globally also means enhancing higher education. to do this, we will give our flagship, the university of wisconsin-madison, the tools it needs to remain a world leader in research and instruction, while continuing to be a driver

of economic development. this is a decision that we discussed at great length with chancellor betty martin and the leader at uw. for the past several years, she and other uw leaders have pushed for greater flexibility. now they will have it, and soon the university of wisconsin- milwaukee will as well. throughout the budget process, i am open to working with lawmakers from both political parties on expanding this concept to the other campuses throughout the university of wisconsin system. a few weeks ago, i met with all the uw chancellors and expressed my willingness to work with them and the members of the legislature to improve our higher education system. we also remain committed to keeping our university system accessible to every wisconsin student regardless of financial

resources. that is why even in these tough fiscal times we maintain our commitment to the state's financial aid programs. plus, we maintain the state's tuition reimbursement for our veterans. as we refocus government, public safety remains a priority. our budget will restore truth in sentencing by repealing the early release program approved by the last administration. we will provide additional resources and positions in our dna lab to assist our criminal investigations. and we will make sure that our children, those dearest to us, are protected from those who would do them harm.

we provide additional resources to investigate on-line predators targeting our children. the state currently has over 20,000 ip addresses of people who prey on our children, but we do not have the resources to track those criminals down. now we will. we're proud of the leadership provided in this area by our attorney general, j.b. van hollen, and i am thankful that even with a tough budget we can find resources to protect our kids. this is a reform budget. it is about giving wisconsin working again. we need a balanced budget that works. during our special session, we

created a public private agency, the wisconsin economic development corporation. our budget includes resources and organization to get it working to stimulate our economy. working hand in hand with our efforts come on our seven regional efforts are are rounded -- are around the state. our budget recognizes the important role. we need to move goods and people in a cost effective manner. that is why our budget bins in the transportation system. women's the investment in our state's transportation system.

this is money that will create jobs now and in the future. it will continue this. we also in church -- also encourage job growth on those that invest in wisconsin based businesses. it provides jobs for our people.

we provide real tax relief for homeowners across the state by implementing tax reform that helps at the local level. i heard from those who are doing more with less and making sacrifices to keep their families. wayne. give people like retired couples on fixed income for new parents paying a mortgage or middle class those. all of them need true property taxes. this tax budget delivers.

i campaigned and creating an environment. the taxpayers create jobs by limiting these guys -- the size and scope of government. we do so by giving local government the tolls to do this in state aid. the blessings can only be maintained to justice, moderation, temperance and virtue. we are turning to frugality.

[applause] we will do the heavy lifting to protect our children and grandchildren from having to make hard decisions that were once avoided. i know things will get better. it'll have the tough issues 25 years ago. these policies help the private sector create 258,000 new jobs.

i remember the excitement he created when we turned our stage around back then. we did a generation ago. we can do it again today. to [applause] we can do it and we will do it.

this is about our future. i want my two sons to grow up in a wisconsin alleys as great as the one i did. i know we can do it. thank you. may god continue to bless the great state of wisconsin. [applause]

>> tomorrow, tom coburn of oklahoma will talk about his efforts to reduce the federal deficit. we will continue our conversation with philadelphia congressman. after that, reporters of politico joann s.. later, secretary clinton will be back on capitol hill to talk about the middle east. live coverage begins at 930 eastern. earlier, the house agree to a two week funding bill. it passed. the senate is expected to take

up and pass the legislation on wednesday which would extend the authority. here is part of today's house debate. that the senate act on the hard-fought and thoughtfully crafted funding legislation that the house passed almost two weeks ago which saves the taxpayers $100 billion compared to the president's request, but it's clear the senate needs more time. so this short-term c.r. will provide an additional two weeks while cutting spending to show our continued resolve to get our nation's fiscal house in order. the bill before us terminates eight programs for a savings of about $1.24 billion. these eight programs were all targeted for elimination in the president's budget request. and have also been part of

proposed cuts in the past in the house and the senate by members of both parties. these eight programs include election assistance grants, the broadband direct loan subsidy, the smithsonian institution legacy fund, the striving readers program, the leap program, even start, smaller learning communities. and a one-time highway funding addition. in addition, the bill also eliminates more than $2.7 billion in funding previously reserved for earmarks, eliminations that the house, senate, and the white house have all called for this year. the earmark funding cuts in this legislation come from energy and water, homeland security, labor, health, and human services, legislative branch, and transportation housing and urban

development program accounts. this legislation will represent the second of many appropriations bills this year that will significantly reduce spending, continuing a pattern of cuts that will help put our nation's budget back in balance and stop the dangerous spiral of unsustainable deficits and debt. it is my hope that this c.r. can be passed quickly and that the president will sign it before the march 4 deadline. this legislation should garner broad support today give the short time frame for action and give the fact that these spending cuts have received previous bipartisan support by members of the house and senate, as well as the white house. madam speaker, we are now five months into the current fiscal year, and it's critically important that we complete this budget process so that we can

turn our attention quickly to passing funding bills for fiscal year 2012. it's high time we start looking forward instead of constantly looking back to clean up past mistakes and inaction. we must move forward quickly in regular order, passing bills on time, in an open and transparent fashion, to avoid these budget uncertainties in the future. madam speaker, this is one more step that we have to take to get our fiscal house in order. while this isn't a perfect or easy process, it is essential that we pass this bill, avoid a government shut down, and continue work on long-term solution to complete this long overdue funding process. our constituents expect and deserve no less. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance

of his time. the gentleman from washington. mr. dicks: i yield myself as much time as i consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington is recognized. mr. dicks: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. dicks: thank you. . mr. dicks: madam speaker, today we will consider a short-term continuing resolution that will allow the essential functions of our government to continue beyond march 4. the date on which the current continuing resolution will expire. with no final agreement on the spending levels for the current fiscal year, this measure is necessary in order to avoid a government shutdown. something i believe we should all want to do. i think that two weeks is not enough time to reach an agreement on h.r. 1 with the other body and i am i trade we're going to be back here doing this again.

now when the house aproved h.r. 1 earlier this month, despite the overwhelming opposition of the democratic caucus, it was clear to me that gaining agreement on a full-year continuing resolution would be difficult, at least before the expiration of the current c.r. we imposed h.r. 1 because we believed it would have the effect of slamming on the fiscal brakes too abruptly, resulting in higher unemployment and threatening our nation's economic recovery. there is no dispute that cutting federal spending too deeply and too quickly before the economy has fully recovered risks slowing growth and losing jobs. moody's estimates that h.r. 1 would reduce real growth in 2011 by.5%, meaning fewer job nbc 2011 and 700,000 fewer jobs by the end of 20 123678 the econ p