Political Quotes

“Madam President, let me take a moment to welcome you to the Senate. I look forward to working with you and welcome you, coming from the House of Representatives to the Senate. Over the Christmas holidays most of our Nation was focused on what Congress would do to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. What was largely missing from that conversation was how to address the much greater and more damaging problem, our growing national debt. I am not exactly sure what the definition of fiscal cliff was. I think it had different meanings to different people. We dealt with a portion of the fiscal cliff, a slight delay in sequestration, and the consequences of the so-called Bush tax cuts expiring on December 31, but the serious problem is our national debt. Last year's budget shortfall reached $1.1 trillion; the fourth straight year of trillion- dollar deficit spending. This out-of-control government spending has increased our national debt to a record $16 trillion, which is more than the entire U.S. economy produced in goods and services for the entire year of 2012. Last week Secretary Geithner let Congress know it will reach its borrowing limit as soon as mid-February. President Obama will request that Congress raise the debt ceiling once again. This is the fifth time that President Obama has requested the debt limit be raised to allow the Federal Government to borrow and spend more money.…”