Jim Matheson: “I rise in support of this provision. This is a great first start. It is a great first start that this is in the rule…”

“I rise in support of this provision. This is a great first start. It is a great first start that this is in the rule; but I agree with my colleague from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan), this ought to be done in a statutory way. And, quite frankly, if we want to replicate the success of the 1990s, you have got to include spending caps, too, and I hope that we work together in a bipartisan way to do that. Because that is really, if we want to have fiscal responsibility, you have got to put some teeth in this and you have got to make us all live under what are going to be some tough circumstances. But as a first step, I am pleased this is part of the rules package. I endorse it, I encourage people to support it, and I hope we recognize this as a first step and we are all going to work together to employ all of the 12 points of the Blue Dog plan that are really going to give fiscal responsibility back to this country.”