Amount Quote by Millicent Fenwick
“I would like to see ... an entirely different procedure which is that we vote on the budget and decide how much we are going to spend, first, the way any family does, and then fit our priorities into what we think we have to spend. Instead, what we do, is to do it incrementally, starting at the bottom, adding and adding and adding. ... Until we get the support of all the authorities in this House to decide, first, what we think this country can afford and then decide where the amount is going to be allocated, we will never have common sense in this House.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: US House of Representatives, 1970s, budget debate
Advocates a simple, family‑budget style allocation rather than incremental, fragmented spending, urging clear limits before prioritizing.
In simple terms: Set a total budget first, then decide priorities.
Key Takeaway
Establish spending caps before allocating funds.
Themes
budgeting
governance
fiscal responsibility
Mood
pragmatic
critical
Type
policy
budgetary
When to use this quote
- government budgeting
- policy planning
- budget hearings
- public finance discussions
Key Concepts
public finance
incrementalism
budgetary discipline
Questions to Reflect On
- How would a fixed budget change policy priorities?
- What challenges arise in defining “common sense” spending?
A Different Perspective
May be politically difficult to agree on a total spending ceiling.
