Randy Weber: “I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri. Mr. Speaker, it is good to be here. Mr. Speaker, since 1978, the debt ceiling has…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri. Mr. Speaker, it is good to be here. Mr. Speaker, since 1978, the debt ceiling has been raised 53 times, and 27 of these increases have been used as a negotiating tool both by Congress and the President. So why not now, Mr. President? Can we not negotiate now? And to borrow a somewhat trite phrase from days gone by, yes, we can. Sadly, today we have a President who does not want to make any concessions with House Republicans. You know, Thomas Jefferson once said, ``Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.'' Has pride gotten in the way, clouding the judgment of our President, do you think, Mr. Speaker? Has this President chosen party politics and his unworkable health care law over working with House Republicans toward fair solutions that would help hardworking Americans keep more money in their pockets? Mr. Speaker, think with me here for a second. During the debt ceiling debate in March 2006, then-Senator Obama said: The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally.…”