On the recordFebruary 11, 2014
I thank both my friend on the majority side and my friend on the minority side for allowing me this unusual procedure. I do rise in support of the rule. I am going to vote for the rule. But, Mr. Speaker, I am going to oppose the underlying bill on the debt ceiling. I have brought some materials that have been prepared by the Congressional Research Service with materials that were provided by the Office of Management and Budget that show in the fiscal year that we are now engaged, mandatory spending is 62 percent of the total budget, and interest on the debt is over 6 percent. Those two combined are two- thirds of all total spending, mandatory spending and interest on the debt. It is not going to get any easier, Mr. Speaker, to solve this problem by passing so-called clean debt ceilings that don't address the underlying problem. I understand the problems governing on the majority side, and I understand the issues with the Presidency and the Senate being controlled by the Democrats. I understand that. But I couldn't walk into a bank in Ennis, Texas, today and say, I owe you $300,000 right now, but I want to borrow another $200,000. They would want to know what plan I had to repay the money I had already borrowed, and they would want to know how giving me another $200,000 would actually be the appropriate thing to do. What we are doing on the underlying bill, Mr.…
