On the recordMarch 1, 2011
I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, last November, the people I represent in Virginia's Fifth District sent an urgent message that America must make a bold departure from the status quo and put a stop to the out-of-control spending that has come to define Washington over the past 2 years. No longer can we continue on the path of unchecked, reckless spending that has crippled our economy and has left us with a massive $14 trillion in debt, $1.6 trillion in deficit spending, and an unacceptably high unemployment rate. Last year, the 111th Congress completely failed in its fundamental responsibility to adopt a budget for the American people. Remarkably, they have punted that responsibility and have kept the Federal Government operating over the last 5 months by adopting continuing resolutions. Fortunately, the new 112th Congress has accepted this responsibility to clean up the mess of the last Congress. Indeed, the House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats, worked late into the night last week to get a proposal to the Senate that recognizes the critical need to adopt a budget while cutting a historic $100 billion in spending for the rest of this fiscal year. After 5 months of failed leadership by Senate Democrats, we now find they need more time. This is truly unbelievable. Over the past week, back home in the Fifth District, I was reminded again and again by my constituents that now is the time for leadership, not for excuses.
