On the recordMay 10, 2012
I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, this bill seeks to achieve a very worthy goal: reduce the debt of the United States and establish a sustainable level of spending. I share that goal, but I oppose this bill for two reasons: First, the proponents of this bill know--or they certainly should know--that there is absolutely no chance this bill will be passed by the Senate or signed by the President. That turns this into a political manifesto, not a practical proposal. Second, and most importantly, the design of this bill guarantees that it will fail. Our budget is a three-pronged stool: domestic spending, Pentagon spending, and revenues. And if you want a strong and durable stool, you need three strong legs. This budget cuts two away. It takes revenues off the table completely, and it exempts the Pentagon, with its nearly $700 billion budget, from making any contribution to debt reduction. Mr. Speaker, our debt problem is serious but solvable. There were 100 of us in this House--60 Democrats and 40 Republicans--who wrote to the supercommittee, and we said the obvious: Put everything on the table. By doing so, we can succeed.
