OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

Statement on Passing the Budget
March 29, 2007

I THANK THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR YIELDING. I SPEAK ON EVERY ONE OF THESE BUDGETS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME I KNOW THE HISTRY OF THESE BUDGETS BACK -- GOING BACK A QUARTER OF A CENTURY. I SOMETIMES BELIEVE THE TALKING POINTS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE ARE WRITTEN BY LEWIS CARROLL, AUTHOR OF COURSE THAT FAMOUS BOOK WHICH HAD, AS ITS THEME, SAYING ONE THING AND MEANING ANOTHER. BLACK WAS WHITE, UP WAS DOWN, ETC., ETC. AND I HAVE LISTENED SINCE 1981 TO THE ECONOMIC OBSERVATIONS OF SUCH PEOPLE LIKE PHIL GRAHAM. SUCH TIME LIKE DICK ARMEY, AN ECONOMIST, THE MAJORITY LEADER OF YOUR PARTY. AND I THINK TO MYSELF HOW CONFUSED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC MUST BE. WHEN THE ASSERTIONS ARE MADE, AN ARTICLE THAT DAVE STOCKTON IN TODAY'S PAPER, DAVID BRODER WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT THAT. HE'S IN TROUBLE WITH ASSERTION THAT IS THINGS THAT HE SAID WERE TRUE IN FACT WERE NOT TRUE. IN FACT, DAVID STOCKMAN ADMITTED IN 1983 WHAT HE SAID WAS TRUE WAS NOT TRUE. WHAT HE SAID THEY THOUGHT THEY DID NOT THINK. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC NEED TO PLACE IT IN THAT CONTEXT. I HAVE HEARD A LOT, I SAY TO MY FRIEND FROM MISSOURI, OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS ABOUT DEBATES ABOUT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THESE TAX CUTS PERMANENT. AND WE'RE NOT. NOW I'M SURE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC KNOWS THAT THE PRESIDENT FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS HAS BEEN A REPUBLICAN. I'M SURE THEY KNOW THAT THE LEADERSHIP IN THE HOUSE FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS HAVE BEEN REPUBLICAN. AND I'M SURE THAT THEY KNOW THE LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE HAS BEEN REPUBLICAN. AND GUESS WHAT? NEVER DID YOU MAKE THOSE TAX CUTS PERMANENT. WHY NOT? BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO PLAY FISCAL GAMES. THAT'S WHY NOT. YOU WANTED TO COUNT YOUR OUT YEARS AS LOOKING BETTER THAN THEY DID. WHY ARE YOU HAVING A $274 BILLION TAX INCREASE IN THIS BILL? HOW DO I SAY THAT? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT FIXING THE A.M.T. WHY AREN'T YOU FIXING IT? BECAUSE IT'S S.T.I., YOUR STEALTH TAX INCREASE. YOU LIKE S.T.I. THIS IS S.T.I. A STEALTH TAX INCREASE WHERE YOU SAY ONE YEAR WE ARE GOING TO FIX IT. GUESS WHAT? FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS WE'LL GET THAT ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE. STEALTH TAX INCREASE. THERE IS NO TAX INCREASES IN THIS BILL. IN FACT IT PROVIDES FOR TAX CUTS FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS. BUT THEY HAVE TO BE PAID FOR. GEORGE BUSH THE FIRST AND DICK GEPHARDT, THE LEADER OF SH HOUSE -- THE LEADER OF THIS HOUSE, CAME TOGETHER AND SAID LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE HAVE TO HAVE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE PAY-GO. PAY FOR WHAT WE BUY. GEORGE BUSH SIGNED THAT. GUESS WHAT? THE REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE AISLE EXCOSHATED THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, GEORGE BUSH, FOR ENTERING AN AGREEMENT THAT ULTIMATELY WOULD BRING US SURPLUSES. I HAVE ALSO LISTENED TO THESE DEBATES AND SEEN SOME VERY EARNEST, VERY INTELLIGENT, VERY ARTICULATE YOUNG MEN. MR. RYAN IS THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF THOSE EARNEST INTELLIGENT, ENERGETIC, ARTICULATE YOUNG MEN WHO TALK ABOUT THEIR VISION FOR AMERICA. TALK ABOUT WHERE THEY WANT TO TAKE AMERICA. MR. RYAN PUTS UP THE CHILDREN. NOW, UNLIKE MR. RYAN, WHO HAS CHILDREN. I'VE GOT CHILDREN. I'VE GOT GRANDCHILDREN. AND AS SOME PEOPLE KNOW, I HAVE A GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER. AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN. WHOSE TAXES YOU HAVE RAISED ALMOST EVERY YEAR YOU HAVE BEEN IN CHARGE THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE, STARTING IN 1981. AND YOU RAISE THEIR TAXES BY NOT PAYING FOR WHAT YOU BUY. YOU TALK ABOUT CUTTING SPENDING, I TELL MY FRIEND. MR. RYAN: MR. CHAIRMAN, ISN'T THE SPEAKER SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS THE CHAIR? NOT SPECIFIC MEMBERS? THE CHAIRMAN: THE CHAIR WOULD ASK MEMBERS TO ADDRESS THE CHAIR RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. MR. HOYER: MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL MY FRIEND THAT THERE'S MORE WAYS TO SKIN A CAT THAN ONE. I TELL THE CHAIR THAT I HAVE HEARD THE ARGUMENT OF THESE EARNEST YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE ALL STOOD ON THIS FLOOR, DAVID STOCKMAN AT THE AGE OF 34, TELLING THE COUNTRY AS DIRECTOR OF O.M.B. HOW WE WERE GOING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. HOW RONALD REAGAN SAID WE ARE GOING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. RONALD REAGAN RAN OVER $1 TRILLION IN DEFICITS OVER HIS EIGHT YEARS. OVER $1 TRILLION IN DEFICITS. THERE IS ONE PERSON IN AMERICA WHO CAN STOP SPENDING IN ITS TRACKS. ONLY ONE. THAT'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. RONALD REAGAN RAN $1 TRILLION IN -- ACTUALLY $1.4 TRILLION. GEORGE BUSH IN THE FIRST JUST FOUR YEARS RAN $1 TRILLION IN DEFICITS. AND THIS PRESIDENT, THIS PRESIDENT IN THE SIX YEARS HE'S BEEN PRESIDENT HAS RUN OVER $1.6 TRILLION IN DEFICITS. $4.1 TRILLION OF DEFICITS DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION, THE BUSH ONE ADMINISTRATION, AND THE BUSH TWO ADMINISTRATION. NOW, I TELL THE SPEAKER THAT MY FRIEND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE DRAMATIC FIGURES. BUT THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THIS HOUSE I HOPE ARE. AND I HOPE ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE LISTENING TO AS WELL BECAUSE THE RHETORIC ON THIS FLOOR IS CHEAP. BUT THE PERFORMANCE IS NOT. AND DURING THOSE 18 YEARS OF REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP OF THIS COUNTRY, WE RAN $4.2 TRILLION IN DEFICITS. DURING THE EIGHT YEARS THAT BILL CLINTON WAS PRESIDENT, WE HAD A $62.9 BILLION SURPLUS. THE ONLY PRESIDENT IN THE LIFETIME I TELL THE SPEAKER, MY YOUNG FRIEND FROM WISCONSIN, THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. NOTWITHSTANDING MR. STOCKMAN OR MR. KASICH OR MR. NUSSLE WHO ALL SAID THEY WANTED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, AND NONE, NONE, NONE OF THEM DID IT. KASICH, I SAID MR. KASICH, MR. NUSSLE. AND MR. STOCKMAN. NONE OF THEM DID IT. NOW, WE ADAPTED A PROGRAM IN 1993 AND I HEARD THE SAME RHETORIC I TELL MY FRIENDS ON THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE, THAT I'M HEARING TODAY. THE SAME RHETORIC. AND DICK ARMEY, NOT ONLY WAS THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE, BUT HE WAS ALSO, HE WASN'T THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE THEN, BUT HE WAS ALSO AN ECONOMIST. AND AN ECONOMIST STILL. AND MR. ARMEY TOLD THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, IF WE ADOPT THIS PROGRAM WE ARE GOING TO HAVE DEEP DEBT, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, AND ANNUAL DEFICITS. THAT WAS THE REPRESENTATION I TELL MY FRIENDS ON THIS FLOOR. THOSE REPRESENTATIONS WERE ALL WRONG. THAT'S WHY WHEN WE LISTEN TO DEBATE ON THIS FLOOR TODAY AND WE SEE A BALANCED BUDGET, RESPONSIBLE BUDGET THAT INVESTS IN OUR FUTURE, AND I TELL, MR. SPEAKER, IF I WERE SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO HIM, I WOULD TELL MY YOUNG FRIEND, I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THESE CUTS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT, FOR A QUARTER OF A CENTURY I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THESE CUTS, WHY IS IT THAT YOU SPENT MORE MONEY AS A PARTY WITH THE PRESIDENT, WITH CONTROL OF THE SENATE, CONTROL OF THE HOUSE BY A FACTOR OF TWO , TWICE AS MUCH SPENDING RISE UNDER THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION THAN UNDER THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION. WHY IS THAT? WHY DO YOU CROW ABOUT CUTTING SPENDING WHEN YOU DOUBLE THE RATE OF GROWTH, WHEN YOU CONTROLLED EVERYTHING? . THAT'S WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC NEED TO JUDGE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LEWIS CARROLL IS NOT WRITING THIS BUDGET. ALICE IS NOT GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THIS BUDGET. MY CHILDREN, MY GRANDCHILDREN, MY GREATGRANDCHILD, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, MY COUNTRY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THIS BUDGET. WE DIDN'T ADOPT A BUDGET LAST YEAR. WE DIDN'T ADOPT APPROPRIATION BILLS LAST YEAR. WE DIDN'T DO ANY OF THE FISCAL BUSINESS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE LAST YEAR. WHY? BECAUSE YOUR PARTY COULD NOT AGREE WITH ONE ANOTHER. SO YOU HAD NO FISCAL PROGRAM. YOUR FISCAL PROGRAM WAS SPENDING MORE MONEY. I HOPE THAT THIS HOUSE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS, ADOPTS A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET THAT WILL MOVE US TOWARDS BALANCE. IT WON'T GET THERE OVERNIGHT. AND WHEN I SAY THAT, IT IS NOT EMPTY RHETORIC, BECAUSE WHEN WE IN 1993 PASSED THAT PROGRAM, WE TOOK THIS COUNTRY FOR FOUR STRAIGHT YEARS OUT OF DEFICIT. NOW I KNOW YOU WILL SAY, WELL, WE REPUBLICANS TOOK OVER IN 1995. AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT, OF COURSE, IS, YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE PRESIDENCY. WHEN YOU HAD IT ALL, WHY COULDN'T YOU DO IT? WHEN YOU HAD THE PRESIDENCY, WHEN YOU HAD THE SENATE, WHEN YOU HAD THE HOUSE, TELL ME WHY YOU COULDN'T DO IT. I TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE IT WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WHO SAID, THIS IS THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO IT OR I'M GOING TO VETO IT. WE CAN DO IT BUT THE PRESIDENT CAN VETO IT. I UNDERSTAND IT. HE'S IN CHARGE. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THESE DEFICITS. BECAUSE HE'S NOT VETOED ONE SPENDING BILL. HE VETOED ONE BILL, WRONGIC STEM CELL BILL. -- EMBRYONIC STEM CELL BILL. I ASK MY FRIENDS, VOTE FOR A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET. MOVE US, AS WE DID IN THE 1990'S, FOUR YEARS OUT OF DEBT, FOUR YEARS INTO SURPLUS, THE FIRST TIME THAT HAPPENED, AND LEFT YOU FOLKS WITH A $5.6 TRILLION SURPLUS THAT YOU SQUANDERED INTO A $3 TRILLION DEFICIT. AND YES, 9/11 HAD AN IMPACT ON THAT. AND YOUR TAX CUT, WE HAD A VERY SHALLOW RECOVERY. YOU KNOW THAT. EVERY ECONOMIST SAYS THAT. AND A RELATIVELY SHALLOW DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY. THIS BUDGET OFFERED BY MR. SPRATT IS A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET THAT PROVIDES FOR TAX CUTS IN THE MIDDLE CLASS, PROVIDES FOR COMPETITIVENESS IN OUR COUNTRY, PROVIDES FOR INVESTMENT IN OUR VETERANS, PROVIDES FOR INVESTMENT IN DEFENSE, USING THE SAME NUMBER THAT THE PRESIDENT GAVE US SO THAT WE CAN KEEP AMERICA STRONG. MR. SPRATT, I THANK YOU. I THANK THE MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMITTEE FOR HAVING THE COURAGE AND THE WISDOM AND THE FISCAL SOUNDNESS TO COME FORTH WITH THIS BUDGET. IT IS WORTHY OF SUPPORT OF EVERY MEMBER OF THIS CONGRESS, AND I URGE THIS HOUSE TO ADOPT THIS BUDGET THIS DAY. AND I YIELD BACK THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.