On the recordNovember 30, 2011
I'm happy to be down here this morning. I often come down here with something on my mind, Mr. Speaker. Invariably, one of my colleagues says something that inspires me even more than what I had on my mind when I came down. That's the case this morning. My colleague who was here right before me said the value of higher education in terms of future earnings is undisputable. The value of higher education, Mr. Speaker, in terms of future earnings, is undisputable. And he then went on to talk about all the Federal programs that provide money so that people can seek higher education. Now my question is, Mr. Speaker: If the value is undisputable, why do we have to pay people to do it? If the value is undisputable, why do we have to pay people to do it? That's what happens in this Chamber too often, Mr. Speaker. I think back to 1787 and the passage of the Constitution. The Constitution, as conservative as it is in terms of preserving individual liberties, would not have passed, would not have been ratified, without the addition of the Bill of Rights. Our Founding Fathers were so concerned about a Federal Government trying to do too much that the colonies would not ratify the Constitution in the absence of the Bill of Rights--the Bill of Rights, which sole purpose is to protect individual liberties. Mr. Speaker, as I look around at what makes America great, it's never something that comes out of this United States House of Representatives.…
