House Proceeding 12-16-09 on Dec 16th, 2009 :: 0:15:20 to 0:35:20
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0:14:35 to 0:15:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Wally Herger

0:15:15 to 0:15:35( Edit History Discussion )

Wally Herger: downturn. democrats ram through a so-called stimulus that left us asking, where are the jobs? now congressional democrats are asking for more money that they will turn around later this afternoon and spend on another stimulus bill that spends even more on failed policy.

0:15:36 to 0:15:42( Edit History Discussion )

Wally Herger: madam speaker, it's time for congress to say no to endless

0:15:43 to 0:16:04( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: debt that is around the neck of our nation's economy and future generations. vote no on this increased debt i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nevada reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. speaker. with that i'd like to voice a

0:15:45 to 0:19:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Allen Boyd

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Allen Boyd: -- to a voice responsibility to the gentleman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. >> i thank my friend, mr. neal, for yielding. i think all of us here today, certainly in this game of inside baseball, understand that we have to raise the debt

0:16:26 to 0:16:46( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: we don't have a choice to let our natiogo into default on its bonds. but i do comeoday to ask you to support it. i come reluctantly. and i am glad to hear that my friends on both sides of the aisle now offer fiscal responsibility. i think many of us over here

0:16:47 to 0:17:07( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: have been saying for years, and particularly for the last eight, nine years, that the policies that we were pursuing starting in 2001 of spending more than we were taking in on an annual basis had to stop. we found ourselves in pretty good shape in 2001, and then we changed the policies know the rest of the story, the

0:17:31 to 0:17:52( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: tools that we can use to return fiscal discipline to our government. the tools such as pay as you go. discretionary spending limits. there are lots of tools that we can use but in the last eight or nine years the congress and the administration has rejected those tools and it's time for us to put those back into place. we don't have the will here in the united states congress to

0:17:53 to 0:18:14( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: discipline ourselves. i think both parties have proven that over the years. so we have to come back with those tools such as pay-as-you-go, sequestration, spending caps, whatever it takes.

0:18:15 to 0:18:35( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: there is a good deal going on around here called the safe commission. mr. neal: i yield the gentleman one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. boyd: what we're trying to do is press the pause button move forward, break for the christmas hoday and then come back, and we have to focus on

0:18:36 to 0:18:58( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: this issue of fiscal responsibility. i have said to my party leaders as i've said to the other party leaders over the last eight years, we have to look beyond the ends of our nose and we have to focus on fiscal responsibility. and the first step we have to do, of course, is to keep our country from going into default on its -- on its bonds. and then we have to move

0:18:59 to 0:19:05( Edit History Discussion )

Allen Boyd: forward to reinstall such tools as pay-go, commissions, whatever i focused on getting our

0:19:06 to 0:19:26( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: government back to the point of acting in a responsible way when it comes to fiscal matters. i thank the gentleman for yielding and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from reserves. the gentleman from nevada is recognized. mr. heller: thank you, madam speaker. i yield three minutes to the republican conference chair,

0:19:48 to 0:20:08( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: the statutory limit on the national debt by $290 billion. now, my distinguished colleague and friend just called it hitting the pause button, and that was evidence of his as everybody in this body knows, this $290 billion increase in the statutory limit on the national debt is simply

0:20:09 to 0:20:29( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: a down payment on the nearly $2 trillion increase in the national debt that th democratic majority intends to move in this congress after the first of the year. increasing the national debt. you know, it's moments like this that ieally got to say that the american people have

0:20:30 to 0:20:50( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: had it. i mean, at a time of economic families, small businesses and family farmers all across this country, a time when families are sitting down at kitchen tables, around aluminum desks, in basements with small lights

0:20:51 to 0:21:11( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: hanging, they're figuring out where to cut back. they are just figuring out how to make it from one month to the next. and those families and those small businesses don't have the ability to walk down to the bank and just increase their debt limit with the wave of a hand. i mean, they got to choices.

0:21:12 to 0:21:32( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: and to their undying credits, the american people are making those hard choices. and the reason they're so frustrated looking to washington, d.c., today is they see a national government that is completely out of step with the character and the values and the sacrifice that the american people are practicing every day. not that it's

0:21:33 to 0:21:55( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: as the distinguished chairman just said a few moments ago, when the republicans were in control, we did our share of spending and overspending. the republicans doubled the national debt in the eight years of the last administration, but this democratic majority just passed the next five years and triple it in 10. after three years of democratic control of the house, the

0:22:18 to 0:22:38( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: when will washington get the message that we can't borrow and spend? tha republicans and democrats, to practice what we so love to preach when we're home, fiscal discipline, fiscal responsibility.

0:22:39 to 0:22:59( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: and then we come here right before the christmas break on the day we'll probably head out of this building and we're going to pass a $290 billion increase in the statutory limit on the national debt. the american people don't want more debt for christmas. this congress ought to be sticking around, making the hard choices --

0:23:00 to 0:23:20( Edit History Discussion )

Mike Pence: the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. entitlements. do our work the way the american people are doing the work. so help us god. gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. neal: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, before i come to my frien's comments, i want to

0:23:21 to 0:23:41( Edit History Discussion )

Richard E. Neal: yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. speaker. i spoke with chairman rangel earlier, and it is our in passing the tax extenders act of 2009 to make sure that those provisions hold. that bill contains a one-year extension of dozens of important expiring provisions, including the popular r&d

0:23:40 to 0:25:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Richard E. Neal

0:23:42 to 0:24:03( Edit History Discussion )

Richard E. Neal: credit, the sales tax deduction, the college tuition deduction among many others. we are now hearing that the senate may not take up this provision or provisions and pass the bill before they expire december 31. . these provisions are crucial for both american businesses and individual taxpayers and i am pleased we are able to get the house to pass this bill before the year concluded but

0:24:04 to 0:24:24( Edit History Discussion )

Richard E. Neal: it's disappointing the other body will not be able to take it up this year. it is our goal, however, to provide a seamless extension if enacted based upon the house measure. madam speaker, i want to thank mr. pence because i thought that the tone of what he offered was entirely reasonable.

0:24:25 to 0:24:45( Edit History Discussion )

Richard E. Neal: because he didn't pass out partisan blame in the instance that brings us here at this time. but a gentle reminder, i don't know how you could have voted for the war in iraq and not vote now to pay the bill. because that's part of what we are being asked to do today. i understand how difficult this is.

0:24:46 to 0:25:06( Edit History Discussion )

Richard E. Neal: why it causes heartburn. but having said that, how can you say that you are willing to commit 160,000 soldiers to iraq and when the bill comes due not pay it? that essentially is the argument that's in front of us today. and i understand the arguments about those american families who are having a difficult time

0:25:07 to 0:25:28( Edit History Discussion )

Richard E. Neal: as we proceed to this holiday season. we want to be as helpful to them as we can. if they gather around the kitchen table to talk the problems they have, we understand if we want to provide as much support for them as we ca let's not f security recipients who are currently sitting around the

0:25:29 to 0:25:33( Edit History Discussion )

Richard E. Neal: table as they watch this debate

0:25:34 to 0:25:54( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: going to be mailed to them on time at the first with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from nevada is recognized. mr. heller: thank you, madam speaker. i yield such time as he may consume to the ranking member of the ways and means, the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. camp: thank you. i thank the gentleman from

0:25:35 to 0:29:15( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Dave Camp

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Dave Camp: nevada for yielding and also want to thank him for his leadership on the ways and means committee this year. the bill before us is a candid admission by the majority that their tax, borrow, and spend ways have driven america deeper and deeper into debt. in fact, because of the failed trillion dollar stimulus spending bill, america's

0:26:16 to 0:26:37( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: unemployment is higher th predicted and revenues are lower. but that hasn't stopped the majority from continuing to spend, spend, spend. just last week the majority rolled six major spending bills into one omnibus bill that increased on average federal spending by 11%.

0:26:38 to 0:26:59( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: now the bill before us asks to increase the debt limit another $290 bill the american people are asking where are the jobs? but all they have been shown is more deficits and more debt. let's be honest with the american people. it really isn't the majority wants to increase

0:27:00 to 0:27:21( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: the debt limit by, it's more like $1.8 trillion. in a few short months we'll be right back here voting on another bill to increase the debt limit probably by another $1.5 trillion. at the end of of twetch, the public debt eke -- of 2007, the public debt equal 65% of the g.d.p. by the end of 2009 the figure

0:27:22 to 0:27:42( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: will exceed 83%. according to president obama's own budget projections, it will exceed 100% of g.d.p. by 2011. think about it. at that rate the majority is spending the federal debt in 2011 will exceed the value of goods and services produced by

0:27:43 to 0:28:04( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: the economy that year. this isn't just a democrat or republican problem. it's a huge problem for every single american. it threatens our economi recovery and our future prosperity. so let's remember the words of then senator obama in 2006 who warned of the dangers of raising the debt limit without addressing the underlying cause. here's what he said.

0:28:05 to 0:28:26( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: and i quote. the fact that we are here today to debate raising america's debt limit is a sign of it is a sign that the u.s. government can't pay its own bills. it is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government reckless fiscal poli increasing america's debt

0:28:27 to 0:28:48( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: weakens us domestically and internationally. leadership means that the buck stops here. instead washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today on to the backs of our children and grandchildren. america has a debt problem and a failure of americans deserve better. americans do indeed deserve better than received this year, but rather

0:28:49 to 0:29:10( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: than heed the warning appropriations committee chairman obey recently said, and m quoting again, we don't really have the bill's already been run up. credit card has already been used. when you get the bill in the mail, you need to pay it. the gentleman from wisconsin was correct. the credit card has been used. but this legislation doesn't pay the bill. it doesn't even make the

0:29:11 to 0:29:16( Edit History Discussion )

Dave Camp: minimum monthly payment. it simply asks for more credit.

0:29:17 to 0:29:37( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: after going on a $1.4 trillion deficit spending binge and maxing out the taxpayers' credit card, democrats are now asking to increase the credit limit. we should not be asking for more credit. we should be developing a plan to control federal spending that future- so that future generations are not trapped under this mountain of debt.

0:29:20 to 0:36:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John S. Tanner

0:29:38 to 0:29:58( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: until we see a plan to actually address this underlying problem, as then senator obama warned, we must, and can i not in good conscience, vote for this legisla i urge my colleagues to vote i reserve the balance of my time. -- i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman fromevadreserves. the gentleman from massachusetts virginia tech. mr. neal: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, athis time i would like to yield four minutes to my friend, the

0:29:59 to 0:30:20( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: gentleman from tennessee, who was my classmate here, 21 years ago, and who is in my judg been as thoughtful as any member of this house on the issues of the national debt. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee for four minutes. mr. tann much, madam speaker. thank you, mr. neal. what we are seeing today is a

0:30:21 to 0:30:41( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: culmination of a decades long -- decade long mismanagement of our nation's finances. in the year 2000, the revenue and expenditure coming to washington were bothround 19% of g.d.p. in othewords, we were breaking the second worse thing that happened in 2001 after of course 9/11 happened in

0:30:42 to 0:31:02( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: february when the congressional budget office said that forecast there would be a $5 trillion surplus over the next years. people aro euphoric. we're filthy rich. we can cut taxes. we can do everything. and we are going to be fine. in fact, the first bush secretary of the treasury came

0:31:03 to 0:31:24( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: before the ways and means committee and said he was concerned we would pay off the national debt so quickly that we would have to pay a premium to get our paper back. well, in june of 2001 we embarked on a new economic game plan for this country. 2 1/2 months later, 9/11. every assumption that went into

0:31:25 to 0:31:45( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: the conclusion there would be a $5 trillion surplus over the next 10 years was no longer vali but what did congress do? kept right on going. by 2003, if you look at the treasury record, by 2003 income coming into washington was down to

0:31:46 to 0:32:06( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: expenditures were over 20% because we had gone to war in afghanistan and iraq, among other reasons. what we do, we borrowed the gap. we started borrowing in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005. a ecade-long mismanagement by both parties.

0:32:29 to 0:32:50( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: 2002 so that you didn't have to pay for anything. you could just blindly pass tax cuts, increase spending, and borrow the difference because you know something, the people we are borrowing it from aren't here. they don't have a vote. however one time they said will you vote for a supermajority to i sa there's plenty of pressure in the system not to raise taxes.

0:32:51 to 0:33:12( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: i will vote not to borrow money, because there's nobody here protesting what doing to the children of this country and the children yet to be born here. so, madam speaker, we have to -- this is the response thing to do today, but i tell you, when we come back, t

0:33:13 to 0:33:33( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: very short term, i think 60 days, when we comeback, we are -- we've got to insist on a commission, or statutory pay-go, on something to break this business as usual gridlock that's been goin entire decade.

0:33:34 to 0:33:54( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: 8 honestly that it has -- it is not a decade old problem. the basically was the fiscal year 2 000 -- 2001. so we have to do we get back here, when the final chapter is written of

0:33:55 to 0:34:15( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: this book, i hope we have the ability to come together and we need the help. we need the help of the republicans to help us put statutory pay-go and some of these thingshat will do it. it's not -- the problem is not what we are doing. we have a structural deficit.

0:34:16 to 0:34:37( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: income right now is about of expenditures are over 20. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tenssee is recognized. mr. tanner: when one considers that social security, medicare, medicaid, and the national defense account for 85 cents out of every dollar, you can't cut

0:34:38 to 0:34:58( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: enough out of the 15% to take care of this problem. it's not what we are doing. it's not what we are sp it's what we are not doing. that is we are not addressing the structural deficit. and the only way we are going to get at that is through either statutory pay-go or anonymity commission and hopefully both.

0:34:59 to 0:35:20( Edit History Discussion )

John S. Tanner: it's not what we are doing, it's what we are not doing. and it is a decade-old problem that is getting worse every year. and until this congress can come together, democrats and republicans, what we have around here is too many republican americans or too many democratic americans instead of american democrats and american republicans.