On the recordFebruary 4, 2010
The American public must be baffled by the charges and countercharges going back and forth. I would just invite, Madam Speaker, those listening to make their own decision based on two facts. First is that the gentleman from Kentucky said a few minutes ago that the present administration had tripled the Federal spending. I would invite people to go look at the record, which says that the 2008 budget was $2.9 trillion. The proposed budget for this year is $3.7 trillion. That is not tripling. Second, in the years in which we have had the PAYGO rule in effect, we have accumulated 30 percent of the Federal debt. In the years we have not had it in effect, we have accumulated 70 percent of the Federal debt. Choose based upon the record and I think people will see that voting 'yes' on this commonsense legislation is the right path.
