House Proceeding 02-13-09 on Feb 13th, 2009 :: 0:48:00 to 0:52:25
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0:47:58 to 0:48:18( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the chair recognizes the gentleman for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the indulgence this afternoon. earlier this afternoon, this house passed the single largest spending bill that has ever come across the work activity of this body. there was tepid applause on the

0:48:00 to 0:52:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: K. Michael Conaway
Bill: H.R. 1: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

0:48:19 to 0:48:39( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: other side of the aisle for the passage of this bill. i think in recognition that none of us really know that it will work. most of us on our side of the aisle don't believe it will work, believe it was the wrong issue to do, the wrong way to address a very serious issue. americans all across this country are suffering. people losing their jobs, losing their homes, struggling to make

0:48:40 to 0:49:00( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: ends meet. all the things that go on during a recession, these are serious times. my colleagues have been up here all day stating over and over the lack of consideration given to our ideas on how we could have made this better.

0:49:01 to 0:49:21( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: the overall lack of consideration, considering the substantial size of this particular bill that was given over the last two weeks, you hate to use a phrase that's been worn out, but rush to judgment comes to mind, the activity that went on. this house voted earlier this week to -- it was a unanimous vote which doesn't happen except

0:49:22 to 0:49:42( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: on post office namings, a unanimous vote that we would have 48 hours to look at this bill, that our constituents would have 48 hours to look at this bill, that america would have a chance to see what we were v and that was unanimous. and, mr. speaker, it's totally when things come to the house, that's one of the wonderful things about being speaker, and it is great to be speaker.

0:49:43 to 0:50:03( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: but i'm disappointed that you didn't honor the wishes, the unanimous wishes of 403 of us, that thought we needed 48 hours to look at this bill. the real losers in this bill and there are lots of losers, are our future children. future generations of americans, who will be forev saddled with the debt that's

0:50:04 to 0:50:24( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: going to be borrowed to pay for this bill. tucked away in the corner of one of these bills is an increase in the debt limit to 2 tril never get paid back. i had an interesting exchange with a young fifth grade for the fredericksburg, texas, last october who asked me the thingle -- single best questio

0:50:25 to 0:50:45( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: i've ever been asked in a town hall meeting. he asked me, what's the plan to pay off the national debt. i was rocked back on my heels because i'd never been asked anything that straightforward. i said, there's no plan to pay off the debt. in order to pay debt off, you have to run a surplus th

0:50:46 to 0:51:06( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: federal government rarely runs a surplus, certainly never to the tune of 2 trillion so future generations will be paying interest not only on this 00 billion, but also on the 2 trillion we've accumulated for the rest of their lives and the lives of their children, and the lives of their children.

0:51:07 to 0:51:27( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: it is a sad day for the taxpayers, future generations of taxpayers that my generation, the one ahead of me and the one behind me have -- believe in our core that it is an appropriate way to address problems we're having by taking money we haven't earned, that's not yet even been earned by our grandkids and working on oblems we need to solve that

0:51:28 to 0:51:49( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: are important to us. if the problems are important enough to spend money on them we ought to be spending our own money on them not future generations of americans'. i appreciate the time, i wanted to express how disappointed i am in the action of the house today in passing a monster of a bill that does not address the

0:51:50 to 0:52:12( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: jobs it was supposed to, that spends more money and is a legacy, generates higher spending on an annual year after year basis because of some of the floors we've put under these programs that we couldn't afford before we did this and can't afford on a go-forward basis as well. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you, we will resume and finish

0:52:13 to 0:52:26( Edit History Discussion )

K. Michael Conaway: the five-minute requests. ms. Foxx from north carolina. mr. fleming in -- from louisiana.