Jeb Hensarling: “I do want to say that I think a lot of good work was done by the committee, by the chairman, by our ranking member. It…”

“I do want to say that I think a lot of good work was done by the committee, by the chairman, by our ranking member. It is my understanding that the dollar value of the earmarks has declined substantially from the last bill. I am going to say that I view that as progress. But I also want to say that when we are approaching as a Nation a very nasty fiscal fork in the road, and in this institution unfortunately there is a nasty habit of just kicking that can down the road as I mix my metaphors; but, again, don't take my word for it, look at the analysis of the Congressional Budget Office, look at the analysis of the General Accountability Office, look at the Office of Management and Budget. Just dealing with the government that we have today, if Congress just disappeared and created no new government, we are going to reach this fiscal fork in the road in the next generation, where we are either going to have to double taxes on our children and grandchildren, or for all intents and purposes there will be no Federal Government save Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”