When you're the president of the United States, you have no money unless the Congress says, 'Here's what you can spend it on.'
Here's where I'm different from a senator. We pass continuing resolutions. We pass appropriations bills.
The debt limit does not affect the deficits or surpluses. The critical revenue and spending decisions are made through the congressional budget process.
Congress, of course, is not bound to accept the president's budget figures, but the House has the sole power to appropriate funds for spending, and it is a duty that should not be ignored.
He who has his thumb on the purse has the power.
The power of the purse is the only real power of government.
I'm governor of New York.
I'm a former governor, and so I was the chief executive, and when the legislature wasn't in session, I was running the state.
The National Intelligence Director needs the authority to do the job we are asking him to do. That means power over the intelligence budget. And to be effective, to be allowed to do his or her job, they must have authority over the budget.
Congressional Republicans have come to understand that their last, best hope of blocking bad policy from the White House is through spending bills.
The authorizing committees are free to set their agency budgets, and that includes NASA.
Congress has the constitutional responsibility to control the power of the 'purse'.
