We are in the midst of a crisis. It's not a crisis of a debt ceiling. It's a crisis of debt, of Washington spending too much, not taxing or borrowing too little. The problem isn't the debt ceiling; it's the debt. We can no longer continue…

I would like to take this opportunity to express my personal gratitude to all the pages for what they have done here in the 112th Congress. To become a page, Mr. Speaker, these young people have proven themselves to be academically…

I appreciate my colleague from California for yielding. Earlier, we heard from a colleague from Florida, on the other side of the aisle, who was talking about the Constitution and about the intent of it. Ladies and gentlemen, this is about…

Mr. President, I rise during this very critical debate about the deficit crisis to talk for a few minutes about what this means for Michigan and for the families and the businesses I represent. I grew up in a small northern town of Clare…

We are in the midst of an important debate. It's a debate on the debt ceiling and our spending crisis. But fundamentally, it's a debate about the future direction of our country, the next generation, and getting Americans back to work…

Tonight I am offering an amendment that would reduce funding for the National Endowment for the Arts to fiscal year 2006 levels. In February, during the consideration of H.R. 1, I offered a similar amendment to cut NEA funding, which the…

I thank the chairman for yielding. I just want to make it clear because, as I've listened to the opposition to this, it appears one didn't catch my train of thought. I'm not saying that arts or the NEA is wrong. I'm saying it's time to…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 105, line 7, insert ``(reduced by $10,600,000)'' after the dollar amount. Page 158, line 25, insert ``(increased by…

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Michigan will be postponed. The Clerk will read. The Clerk read as follows: National…

I'm pleased today to rise in support of H.R. 440, a bill to establish a special envoy to promote religious freedom of religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia. As a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation and as a…

Today, national unemployment rests at 9.2 percent, but it's even higher in my State of Michigan at 10.5 percent. Gasoline costs $3.80 a gallon or more in many areas, up a dollar from last year. Political unrest halfway around the world…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and final passage of the bill. In a time when government is borrowing over 40 cents for every dollar it spends, this bill makes needed cuts and puts…

{time} 1910 I am pleased to join with the chairman of the committee in support of the Senate bill that would allow for the extension of the term of FBI Director Robert Mueller whose 10-year term expires on August 2. On May 12 of this year…

I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding and for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Chairman, imagine a wave of arson attacks was burning down houses and businesses across the city. And then imagine if the city council…

We're broke, and that's really not the legacy that I want to leave Micah and Claire, my grandkids. More unrestrained spending and tax increases will only slow our economy and make our fiscal problems worse. Raising the debt ceiling without…

We received word yesterday that the President has threatened to veto the bill we will consider later today, H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act. As a cosponsor of this bill, I can't disagree more. We have a spending problem, not a…

Hardly a week goes by without this administration promulgating some new regulation that burdens the American people and our economy. This week it's an environmental regulation that will drive up energy costs. According to a report by the…

I have an amendment at the desk, Mr. Chairman. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 36, after line 3, insert the following new subsection: (i) Moratorium on Flood Map…