Introducing Blue Dog Twelve Point Budget Reform Plan Transcript: Congressional Record May 25, 2005

Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Arkansas; and, certainly, it is a privilege to serve in the U.S. House with my good friend, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper). The gentleman at one time served the district that I represent, and he is one of the few great intellects we have in Tennessee. He is, in my opinion, very analytic on this issue, and it is certainly a pleasure to follow the gentleman, although sometimes quite difficult, obviously, but he is someone we can be proud of.

I am extremely pleased to be a part of a group who call themselves Blue Dog Democrats, and there is a reason for that. We truly believe that deficit hawks and defense hawks are something that America believes in, and that is why I can believe in this group, in this caucus of 30-some-odd individuals who have committed themselves to fiscal responsibility and being sure that our Nation is defended against our enemies, and our enemy today comes in more than one way. It certainly can come in the form of what happened on September 11 from individuals who want to do harm to liberty and freedom. It can also come from an economic assault on this Nation.

I want to talk some about that in a few moments. But as we look at what has happened in this country since 2000 and look at the huge deficits, and it is my understanding that if we take the trade deficits in the last 4 years and total those up, I have heard that it is greater than the entire deficits, trade deficits in the history of this country.

What does that mean, and what does that do for us? It means we are losing our jobs. It means that as that continues to happen, we will also start losing our revenue streams. So we have got to start looking at putting our house in order and managing what we are doing today. Otherwise, this country not only could be attacked by some military power; I am not sure there is one in the world that would threaten to do that, by those who are terrorists who would threaten this country or attack this country, but the economic threat to our Nation is almost as equally dangerous today unless we get our fiscal house in order.

To my colleagues and folks back home who may be watching, this may sound a little partisan to you, but a lot of folks back home on both sides of the aisle I think that have supported me, and I appreciate that, but I think it is time that I expressed my views pretty strongly because I love this country. I want my grandchildren to be sure that they enjoy the same liberties and opportunities and options in their life that this wonderful country gave me.

I do believe that this administration and the Republican majority has spent a great deal of time in the first session of the 109th Congress trying to convince the American people that Social Security is in a crisis. Well, that is debatable, and I am sure Congress will spend valuable time over the next few months arguing about how to fix this system. While I think that we should address Social Security's pending solvency problems at some point in the future, I truly believe the responsible and moral thing for this Congress to do is to address the crisis that is knocking at our front door.

That crisis is a $7.7 trillion national debt, over $600 billion a year in trade deficits, and over $400 billion a year in budget deficits. These numbers are so big that they sound like something out of a science fiction movie. If only they were science fiction. Sadly, it is really the fact.

Since this administration has taken office, we have seen, as the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper) said a moment ago, the largest Federal increase in spending since Lyndon Johnson. Our friends on the other side of the aisle often cite that 9/11 and the war on terrorism are responsible for this. There is no doubt it is true that the new threats to our security has caused a need for new spending in the areas of defense and homeland security. But even if we exclude those spending increases, we have still seen under this administration and Republican majority the largest spending increase in the past 30 years. I find it ironic that the party of small government has overseen a 33 percent growth in government during the President's first term.

As a recent publication by the Cato Institute says, the GOP establishment in Washington today has become a defender of big government.

Mr. Speaker, maybe this is just a result of partisan politics during the Clinton administration, but Republicans and Democrats were forced to work together if they were going to get anything done. What happened? From fiscal year 1998 to 2001, we actually had budget surpluses and a projected overall surplus in the range of $5 trillion. Even if we remove the Social Security surpluses from the total budget line for these years, we still had budget surpluses in fiscal year 1999 and 2000, and the largest budget deficit we saw was $32 billion.

Under this administration, we have seen on-budget deficits as high as $567 billion, a remarkable turnaround. In my humble opinion, the Republican majority has been reckless and spent the taxpayers' money like drunken sailors on a weekend pass.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to resolve that pass and to revoke it and take a stand for all of the American people because, sadly, the Members of Congress currently serving are not going to have to pay off this debt. Instead, our children and grandchildren will have to pay it off. Our soldiers who are serving us so bravely in Iraq will come back home and find they have to foot the bill for the war we sent them off to fight; and this is simply wrong. It is simply immoral.

There is hope. It is called the Blue Dog Coalition 12-point plan. And I am up here to ask for an up-or-down vote. We have heard that a lot recently, have we not? An up-or-down vote for the people of America. An up-or-down vote, because ultimately this issue does not just affect people in certain districts. It affects all Americans.

So I am here for the American people asking for an up-or-down vote. I want an up-or-down vote on H.R. 903, the Fiscal Accountability and Honesty Act of 2005. This will, among other things, extend PAYGO that expired in 2002 and close the loopholes on emergency spending.

I want an up-or-down vote on H.R. 121, a package of rules changes for the House. These changes will require a rollcall vote on raising the debt ceiling and give Members of Congress 3 days so that we can actually read and study the bills we vote on. I mean, if the Republican majority is so confident that the legislation they send to the floor is right for the American people, should it not withstand 3 days' public scrutiny? What is there to hide? Why not an up-or-down vote on 121?

I want an up-or-down vote on House Joint Resolution 22, the Balanced Budget Amendment. This amendment has already been passed by the House as part of the GOP Contract with America.

Now, the Blue Dogs, in an effort to provide security for our current and future retirees, have added language to protect Social Security benefits from being cut to balance the budget. There are 49 States in this Nation that require a balanced budget. If it is good enough for them, it is good enough for me.

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat this three or four times. Give us an up-or-down vote on budget restraint issues, measures that have been introduced, get them out of the committee, bring them on this floor. Give us an up-or-down vote, an up-or-down vote. If it is good enough for judges and Presidential appointees, it is good enough for all 200-some-odd million people who live in this country.

So to the majority on this floor, I ask you, an up-or-down vote. Now is the time. It is time to get it done.