Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to submit the following two documents into the Record: One is from the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the other is from the AARP--both of which express their opposition to this ill-founded measure before us, H.J. Res. 2. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman's request is granted. There was no objection. International Association of Fire Fighters, July 28, 2011. Member of Congress, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative, On behalf of the nation's nearly 300,000 professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel, I urge you to oppose any balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. Although there is a clear need to lower the long-term federal budget deficit, requiring a balanced budget through a constitutional amendment would be disastrous for the U.S. economy. During periods of economic downturns, the federal government's safety-net programs like unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and food stamps face greater demand right when federal receipts are in rapid decline. Requiring a balanced budget every year would force cuts to these and other important programs or force tax increases. Either prescription would risk tipping a faltering economy into recession or making recessions worse.…”