On the recordJanuary 31, 2013
I appreciate the intent of the Senator from Pennsylvania. When we stop and think about this amendment, it reminds us of the movie and the book ``The Hunger Games.'' In ``The Hunger Games,'' you will recall, children were pitted against each other until one survived. Under this amendment, there are three categories that are protected: military pay, Social Security, and bondholders. Everybody else is out for him or herself. The Treasury Secretary would have to decide who gets what money, what funds--whether it is food stamps, whether it is Medicare, whether it is Medicaid, whether it is the Coast Guard; whatever it is, it would be total chaos, and people who would find their food stamps cut would find themselves in greater hunger. This is a very disruptive amendment. If you think the country is worried about a lack of confidence now, if this were the law, there would be less confidence, there would be total chaos in this country. I cannot think of a more disruptive amendment that would cause so many problems. It truly is a ``hunger games'' amendment and I urge that we table the amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
