On the recordNovember 17, 2011
I thank the chairman for yielding. As a member of this historic freshman class, we came here committed to cutting government spending because we know that cutting government spending is tied directly to increasing job opportunities in this Nation. This bill does something that has not happened since World War II. For the second year in a row, we are now on the path to cutting government spending, not by the definition traditionally used by Washington, which is cutting the rate of growth, but by the definition of the people of America: actually cutting spending. We also came here to change the way Washington does business. President Reagan observed that government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on Earth. This conference report terminates a total of 20 programs from the Federal budget. Now, I wish it would have cut more spending, but when I look at the opportunity to cut 20 programs from our Federal budget-- something that rarely happens in this town--I gladly support this conference report. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your work. Thank you to the ranking member and the minority for working with us to eliminate those 20 programs.
