Paul Ryan in 2013 "“The budget is a means to an end. We’re not balancing the budget as an accounting exercise. We’re not just trying to make the numbers add up. We are trying to improve people’s lives. Our debt is a threat to our country. We have to tackle this problem before it tackles us.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/289289-rasmussen-paul-ryans-favorability-bottoms-out-after-election
Of course he never really meant he wanted to improve all people's lives just his campaign donors.