Political Quotes

“I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona for the time, and thank him for bringing this issue to the forefront. Madam Speaker, I am distressed by the lack of numbers in the Chamber right now because this truly is the greatest threat to the security of this Nation that we face. When I ran for office last fall, I promised the citizens of Virginia's Sixth Congressional District that I would reintroduce 4 words to Washington: ``We can't afford it.'' These are four words that have been needed to have been repeated over the last 22 years, as the last time a Federal budget with a surplus was signed into law was 1997. In Virginia, where I served in the House of Delegates until last year, we are required to balance our budget each year. And because we have placed a priority on fiscal responsibility, Virginia is frequently listed among the best states in which to do business. In contrast, the Federal Government has an outstanding public debt of more than $22 trillion. Every year, since 1997, Congress has failed to maintain a fiscally responsible budget and, instead, has relied too much on raising the debt ceiling. Because of this practice, on August 5, 2011, the credit rating of the United States was reduced by Standard & Poor's from AAA to AA+, and has remained at that level ever since. Virginia, through its fiscal responsibility, has maintained its AAA bond rating, one of only a few States to have that honor.…”