John Culberson: “I'd like to ask the author of the amendment if she'd be willing to accept an amendment that we also ask the GAO to…”

“I'd like to ask the author of the amendment if she'd be willing to accept an amendment that we also ask the GAO to examine the effects on the taxpayers of the United States of all the perils created by this legislation and the financial risk this exposes the taxpayers too, because, again I think it's vitally important for this House to recognize that the potential liability this legislation exposes the taxpayer to, as Mr. Baker said earlier, there's about $19 trillion worth of insurable property around the coast of the United States. The flood insurance program's already $20 billion in debt, and the United States, according to the GAO, already faces potential liabilities, direct and indirect, not potential, direct and indirect liabilities of $50 trillion. That works out to $170,000 per person. Every household in the United States would have to buy $440,000 worth of T bills today just to pay for the explicit and implicit liabilities of the United States. And, finally, I would just remind the majority of something that my hero Thomas Jefferson said in his first inaugural address because of repeated attempts, this majority has shut out all amendments by the minority. Thomas Jefferson said that although the rule of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that rule to be rightful must be reasonable and must always protect the rights of the minority, which this majority has not done.”