On the recordJune 30, 2011
Mr. President, I agree with Senator Johnson. I come to the floor in support of this movement, which is that we should be talking about what America says we should be talking about--the debt. Yesterday, the President went on national television and chastised Congress. He said to Congress that Members of Congress need to cancel things. Do you know what. I agree. I am here today, though, Mr. President. Where are you? My understanding is that the President is campaigning and has a fundraiser in Philadelphia tonight. I don't believe he is here tackling the Nation's problems today. He could send us the Vice President, but I don't think he is here either. I think he is in Las Vegas campaigning tonight. This is a two-way street. If he is going to go on television and chastise us for not doing work--we are saying we want to be working on the Nation's problems; we are here saying the Nation's debt is a problem; his administration has said the No. 1 national security threat we face is the debt--where is the President? Campaigning. We are here, Mr. President. We will have an offer. We don't want to raise the debt ceiling. We don't want more debt. Do you know what. As Republicans, for the good of the country, we are willing to raise the debt but only--and I repeat ``only''--if we have significant budgetary reform. We have to balance the budget by law. Force Congress to do it by changing the Constitution. It is the only way it will ever change. There is a pathology here.…
Source
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