Richard B. Nugent: “I thank the distinguished chair of the Rules Committee, Mr. Dreier, for allowing me to speak. I will be perfectly honest…”

“I thank the distinguished chair of the Rules Committee, Mr. Dreier, for allowing me to speak. I will be perfectly honest with you. There is a lot about this rule that I don't love but, quite frankly, we don't have much time left. We need to get something done and we need to get something done now. This rule provides us with the tools and the mechanisms that we need to get our jobs done and bring our economy and our country back from the brink of default. Default is not an option. The underlying legislation, the Budget Control Act of 2011, saves us from default. Most of all, I support the Budget Control Act of 2011 because it means both Chambers of Congress must pass a balanced budget amendment before the President can raise the debt ceiling once again. Do I like everything in the bill? No, I don't. Does it do what the American people and the American economy need and deserve? Yes, it does. And that's why I support both the rule and the underlying legislation.”