Robert Berry: “I remember for as long as I can remember the talk on this floor was that we had to have a balanced budget, that we…”

“I remember for as long as I can remember the talk on this floor was that we had to have a balanced budget, that we should pay off the debt, that it is our job to be fiscally responsible. We have all heard that. I would bet there is not a Member of this House or a Presidential candidate or a Member of the United States Senate that has not sworn their allegiance to that idea, that we have to live within our means. One of mine is last year, just about this time, the new Director of the Office of Management and Budget came to the Blue Dogs and he made this statement: "My greatest fear is that we will pay off all of the national debt and no one will be able to buy a United States Savings Bond and they won't have a safe place to invest their money." It is with great regret this evening that I have to tell you that those bonds are going to be available for a long, long time. The bad news is, our children and grandchildren are going to have to pay them off. We have all heard that we should run government like a business. This is no way to operate. And yet here we are going to be forced to vote to increase the debt.”