"The president's budget request today demonstrates his unwillingness to come clean on the true costs of his agenda. A penny saved is not a penny earned if at the end of the day you still owe a quarter"

This quote by Mary Landrieu is a criticism of the president's budget demand. She is indicating that the president is not being sincere about the real costs of his program. She is stating that even if the president is trying to conserve cash, it won't matter if completion outcome is that the country still owes a large quantity of money. This quote is a warning to the president that he need to be more transparent about the costs of his program which he must be more conscious of the country's monetary scenario. It is a pointer that conserving money is not the like generating income and that the president ought to be more responsible with the country's financial resources.