that's common sensical. and a vote for the democratic proposal truly would be a vote for the status quo. it would be a victory for the status quo. it would be seen clearly as a victory for the big spenders. it would be a continuation of the unsustainable fiscal path that we are on, the path to decline, the path to dependence, debt dependence. the whole world is watching, really, just like we watched the british, they stepped up to the plate and made cuts. the germans have criticized the united states for our excessive spending. the european union has criticized the united states for our excessive spending. canada has done a lot better than the united states has in containing spending. the world is watching. what is the united states going to do? is it going to get its house in order like the other developed nations are working to do? have they made a national decision to reform their unsustainable actions or not? some say these $61 billion in cuts would hurt growth. i contend that absolutely is not so. in te