Throughout his presidency, Hoover had fought to limit spending and keep the budget balanced. Roosevelt had no such reservations about appropriating billions of dollars toward relief programs. It was one of his primary goals upon becoming president to supply relief to as many people that needed it as soon as possible and at whatever cost. In an election speech, he had stated, "If starvation and dire need on the part of any of our citizens make necessary the appropriation of additional funds which would keep the budget out of balance, I shall not hesitate to tell the American people the truth and ask them to authorize the expenditure of that additional amount." Roosevelt promised immediate and drastic action, and he wasted no time in fulfilling that promise. In what became known as the Hundred Days, a flood of new legislation was created and whipped through both legislative...