Steny Hoyer: “Ruth Marcus, a reporter for the Washington Post, wrote the other day that those who forget history are condemned to be…”

“Ruth Marcus, a reporter for the Washington Post, wrote the other day that those who forget history are condemned to be spun by it. I remember history. I have been here for a quarter of a century, and I have heard the representations made by Republicans in the administration and on this floor over those years, telling me how their policies were going to lead to fiscal responsibility, reduction of deficits, elimination of debt. It hasn't happened. Not in one of the 17 years has that happened. In fact, when Washington is under the total control, absolute control of Republicans over the last 5 years, we have had the worst deficit performance in our history, and we have had much larger spending than we had under Bill Clinton. There is only one person that can stop spending in America. You have heard me say this before. It is the President of the United States. He can veto a bill, and we have never in the 25 years I have served here overridden a President's veto that said we were spending too much. As a matter of fact, the only veto override that I remember in the Reagan years was when we overrode a veto where President Reagan said we did not spend enough money. In that instance it was on defense; $4 trillion of deficits under Republican Presidents, $62.5 billion surplus under a Democratic President. That is the experience of the 25 years. My friends, if we were responsible people, we would say we will cut spending, and then we will cut revenues.…”