>> i've talked to erskine boelgz in the last couple of days, talked to him again. i think you'll be seeing a very positive statement from he and senator simpson, and others as well who are interested in getting us back on track. >> so you're saying it's going to be months until there's an actual committee vote on this? >> could be. >> okay. >> the election, after all, is months away. >> republicans would say, again, that 1,000 days, why weren't -- why wasn't the committee doing this already? if this things takes days and takes and months and months like you said, same question, why today and not 1,000 days ago or earlier? i mean, what's -- >> well, look, i don't know how i could be more clear. last year a law was passed, not a resolution, a law. that law provided spending limits for this year and next. >> but it wasn't a long-term plan like you were talking about today. >> that's true. that's why -- but it did provide the spending limits, the spending discipline, the enforcement mechanism. in fact, ten years of spending caps in a law that is in place. what we still