Porter Goss: “this is a fair rule for business at hand that allows the House to approve necessary legislation to preserve the full…”

“this is a fair rule for business at hand that allows the House to approve necessary legislation to preserve the full faith and credit of the United States--while keeping important promises to the American people. I confess, I am extremely uncomfortable voting for an extension of the debt ceiling. An offer of extended credit is a false favor to someone who is having trouble paying the bills. And the same holds true for the national budget--higher debt limits simply postpone and exacerbate the inevitable pain of paying the bill. We have a moral obligation to break the cycle of debt. Of course we know that decades of neglect cannot be reversed overnight. But that does not mean we should not spend every day moving in that direction. Although President Clinton torpedoed our effort to lock in this year a glidepath to balance in 7 years, the drive toward a balanced budget is continuing. Our new majority has already saved billions of dollars in this year's spending cycle alone. We've crafted positive reforms to preserve and strengthen our national safety net--while shrinking the size and reach of the Federal bureaucracy. We've made tough choices to secure our children's future--and we are not going to be sidetracked by President Clinton's overactive veto pen.”