On the recordMarch 3, 2015
It is my honor on behalf of a lot of colleagues who can't be here right now and on behalf of our colleagues who are going to speak to talk about the budget of the United States Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon after our legislative business for the day because it is the concern of many of us--and perhaps it is the concern of all of us who ran for office, who got elected, who honorably serve in this body--to say--to make sure, perhaps--that our priorities are in order. And, Mr. Speaker, if you simply look at any number of ``debt clocks'' that run on all kinds of different Web sites, including one that continues live in my office, you see perhaps--I hope it is clear to you, Mr. Speaker--that our priorities are not in order. We are over $18 trillion in debt as I take the microphone right now. Mr. Speaker, that is not the half of it. Over the next several decades we are scheduled to have over $100 trillion in debt. And that is not acceptable. In fact, I can't think of too many things that are more immoral than the present-day majority, than our present-day citizens leaving this burden to future citizens, people who do not yet exist. Talk about taxation without representation. But that is what we are faced with. That is what we do every day around here when our budget is not in balance and our priorities remain out of order. To be clear, Mr.…
