On the recordMarch 5, 2013
Congress' failure to avert the sequestration with a balanced and responsible plan before the March 1 deadline is not just sad, it's inexcusable. The ramifications of failure are anything but artificial. They are real and they are severe. While the sequestration process has begun, it is not too late to work together to put us back on the right path. Funny enough, Democrats and Republicans actually agree on one thing: that we can and must adjust the way we spend money. But we have dramatically different ideas about the best approach. Democrats in Congress have a balanced approach, which includes spending cuts and revenue through closing tax loopholes to reduce our debt. This sequestration plan is not the answer to dealing with our deficits, and neither is another eleventh-hour temporary solution. We owe it to the American people to move the needle forward and come to a compromise on a real plan that will increase revenue from sources other than just slashing critical programs. I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 699, a balanced bill to replace this sequester with spending cuts and revenues. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the guidelines consistently issued by successive Speakers, as recorded on page 752 of the House Rules and Manual, the Chair is constrained not to entertain the gentlewoman's request unless it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee leaderships. ____________________
