On the recordJanuary 23, 2013
I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just say that we've already increased the debt limit over $5 trillion in the Obama administration. That's an almost 50 percent increase in the debt limit. Let me also just say that we've had several temporary short-term increases in the debt limit before there's been a more permanent longer-term increase--in 1987, in 1990, and 1996. So it is not unprecedented, the action that we're going to be taking today. With that, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Reichert).
