John Hall: “I come to the floor in defense of fiscal responsibility. After 6 years of disastrous management and record deficits, the…”

“I come to the floor in defense of fiscal responsibility. After 6 years of disastrous management and record deficits, the new Democratic House has restored fiscal sanity to the Federal Government. We have reinstated PAYGO, or pay as you go, and passed a budget that will balance Federal spending. As the Speaker knows, PAYGO requires the House to live by the same rules that American families live by. Like them, if we want to spend more money on something, we know we have to spend less money on something else. Just as families sit down and make tough choices every day, Congress now has to decide what the government's priorities should be. And the new Democratic majority has made America's priorities the priorities of this Congress. We have twice passed the SCHIP legislation to provide working families with health care for their children. We passed the College Cost Reduction Act, the largest investment in college financial aid since the GI bill. This bill increased Pell Grants, provided tuition assistance for future teachers, and enabled loan forgiveness for first responders, law enforcement officers, and fire fighters. The new Democratic Congress also honored America's promise to our veterans by passing the largest budget increase in the history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. We have passed appropriations bills that fund the most pressing needs of our country.”