On the recordJuly 19, 2011
I thank the ranking member of the committee for yielding. Madam Speaker, there is not a single person in this Chamber who doesn't want to balance the budget, but the legislation before us today is not about that. It is about enshrining a particularly radical interpretation of the Republican agenda into the foundational document, a precious document, our Constitution, that guides our system of government. If successful, it would put in place a cap on Federal spending at 18 percent of GDP, turning back the clock more than half a century to the glory days of 1966. Though it makes for a great press release, why didn't anyone else think of this solution? Even President Reagan never once requested a Federal budget that spent nearly this low. Well, to begin with, our population is much larger and much older on average than it was in 1966. Some see that as a problem. Seniors are expensive, they say. I suppose that's one way of looking at it. And if all you're worried about is how much Grandma's nursing home care costs, then this is the bill for you. But since 1966, Grandma is living, on average, nearly 10 years longer. There is no price you can place on that, and there is no question that it's because she's getting a guaranteed level of health care. This bill, according to their own leaders, enshrines the Republican plan to end Medicare in the United States Constitution.…
