Factbox: Lawmakers on Obama 2011 budget

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The following are comments by lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives on the 2011 budget plan that President Barack Obama proposed to Congress on Monday.

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI:

“President Obama has approached this budget with equal commitment to economic growth and fiscal responsibility. I look forward to examining the president’s proposal to freeze spending and believe waste can be found in all departments and agencies -- including the Defense Department.”

HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN BOEHNER:

“Just three days after talking to House Republicans about the importance of fiscal responsibility, President Obama is submitting another budget that spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much.”

“Filled with more reckless spending and more unsustainable debt, the president’s budget is just more of the same at a time when the American people are looking for Democrats in Washington to listen and change course.”

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN DAVID OBEY, A DEMOCRAT:

“While we may differ on details, our committee will meet the president’s target for appropriations. We will not exceed his requested level for appropriations. But we will also not exempt any department or activity from review, including foreign aid and the Pentagon, because none of them are without waste.”

HOUSE BUDGET CHAIRMAN JOHN SPRATT, A DEMOCRAT:

“The Obama administration has realized from the start that it will be impossible to bring the deficit down unless the economy is up. The budget the president is sending Congress today puts a priority on those objectives. It keeps one eye on the economy and the other on the deficit.”

HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN CHARLES RANGEL, A DEMOCRAT:

“The blueprint outlines a straightforward approach focused on job creation, economic security for middle-class families, and restoring America’s fiscal health. I have no doubt this budget will ignite a spirited debate on the future of our nation and I only hope the debate can be more focused on policy than politics.”

DAVE CAMP, TOP HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE REPUBLICAN:

“This budget features too many new taxes, too much new spending and too much new debt, all of which will discourage hiring and further reduce Americans’ job security. While I am glad to see the budget seeks to increase exports of American-made goods and services, those efforts are far outweighed by trillions of dollars in job-killing tax hikes.”

SENATE BUDGET CHAIRMAN KENT CONRAD, A DEMOCRAT:

“In the near-term, we must emphasize policies that encourage job creation in the private sector, including tax credits for businesses that hire and other provisions to encourage businesses to add employees. For the long-term, we must begin to pivot to focus on controlling our debt.”

JUDD GREGG, TOP SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE REPUBLICAN:

“I think this (spending freeze) is very much small ball. ... though it’s a step, it’s almost a baby step.”

“It’s (the deficit commission) for political cover, I’m not willing to vote for political cover.”

HOUSE ARMED SERVICES CHAIRMAN IKE SKELTON, A DEMOCRAT:

“The strength of the U.S. military is in our people. This budget proposal invests in our people by providing a military pay raise, a housing allowance increase, a funding boost for family support programs, and by preventing any increases in health care fees ... Congress has a responsibility to ensure that every defense dollar is spent wisely, and we must continue to rein in spending where we can.”

HOWARD MCKEON, HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE TOP REPUBLICAN:

“The president’s budget request is a mixed bag -- the good is accompanied by several points of concern. With respect to the $350 million requested for detainee operations, I do not support authorizing those funds for a terrorist detention facility in the United States and will work with my colleagues on the committee to ensure these funds are not used to import terrorists into our backyards.”

SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY, A REPUBLICAN:

“The president’s proposed NASA budget begins the death march for the future of U.S. human space flight ... Congress cannot and will not sit back and watch the reckless abandonment of sound principles, a proven track record, a steady path to success, and the destruction of our human space flight program.”