Deborah Koff Ross: “I rise this evening as whip of the 37-member strong fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. I rise this…”

“I rise this evening as whip of the 37-member strong fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. I rise this evening on behalf of the Blue Dogs, who are very concerned about this, our Nation's debt, which is $8,353,429,193,726 and some change. That means for every man, woman and child alive in America at this moment, it means their share of the national debt is $28,000. Many of America's priorities will continue to go unmet until we get our Nation's fiscal house in order. I plan to spend a good part of this hour discussing the debt and the deficit, but I just heard some things from a group that calls themselves the Official Truth Squad. They had the nerve to come to the floor of the United States House of Representatives and say it is the Democrats that are responsible for $3-a-gallon gasoline at the gas pump. But the best one of all was when they blamed it on former President Clinton. Mr. Speaker, give me a break. The American people know for the last 5 years and for the first time in 50 years, the Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate. It is they who have failed to give us an energy policy that will allow us to become less dependent on foreign oil. They know that Democrats like myself have tried time and time again to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We have a bill in committee, in the Committee on Energy and Commerce, of which I am a member.…”