House Proceeding 04-02-09 on Apr 2nd, 2009 :: 0:46:25 to 1:06:25
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0:43:55 to 0:46:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Howard L. Berman

0:46:04 to 0:46:25( Edit History Discussion )

Howard L. Berman: recognized that the fight against al qaeda and the taliban cannot be won by military means alone. in addition to 21,000 troops, he is proposing sending specialists to help that war-torn country get back on their fet. this budget would make that impossib way they could absorb the

0:46:26 to 0:46:46( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: additional cuts and still do that mission. i would suggest that the president's number and not the republican proposal and not the ryan substitute is the fi conservative position in this debate and i urge my colleagues

0:46:35 to 0:46:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Paul Ryan

0:46:47 to 0:46:55( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: to defeat the substitute. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. ryan: the gentleman is correct, we don't have the president's request to increase

0:46:56 to 0:47:17( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: the state department's budget by 41%. we are guilty as charged. i yield two minutes to the the gentleman from virginia, mr. cantor. the chair: virginia is recognized for two minutes. mr. cantor: first of all, madam chair, the american people are looking at us today to see if there is actually oing to be a

0:47:00 to 0:50:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Eric Cantor

0:47:18 to 0:47:38( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: real connection between what this place is about and what people are going single day in comunities across this country. job number one for us is to get the economy back track. and the way we do that is to promote job creation and there is without a doubt an attack on the job creators on the part of the budget being brought forward

0:47:39 to 0:48:00( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: by how in the world do we expect small businesses to create jobs if we're taxing small businesses? and, in fact, 50% of those individuals who receive a tax hike on the majority's budget are small businesses. and if you've got more employees, you got higher taxes. that doesn't make sense.

0:48:01 to 0:48:21( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: some of the other acusationsr how do you think you can bring the economy back by lowering taxes? you know, how are we going to bring the economy back by cranking up government spending. that is redistributing wealth. we need to create wealth, creating prosperity. look, madam chair, there are two

0:48:22 to 0:48:43( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: views in this house today, there is no question about it. one, the majority's budget is about preserving the status quo. it is about investing in washington. the other in ryan's budget, our alternative, is about promoting opportunity. it is about promoting what is best for small businesses and

0:48:44 to 0:49:04( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: working families of this country. america has always been more about opportunity. yes, we want to promote financial security, but the way we do that is to promote opportunity. you know, i hear so many of the old, tired scare tact from the majority. the republicans, allthey will do is roll in social security.

0:49:05 to 0:49:25( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: we have provisions in our document which says we hold social security harmless, that seniors are protected. and then we hear from the gentlelady from connecticut talking ab chair, i would ask for an additional minute. mr. ryan: i yield the gentleman an additional minute. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for an additional minute.

0:49:26 to 0:49:47( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: mr. cantor: somehow we are cutting real money out of the budget? you're darn right. what do you think the working families of this country are having to do every single day? they are having to tighten their belt. they are about having to se how they will make it through the month and pay the mortgage and pay the bills. so, yes, our budget alternative

0:49:48 to 0:50:08( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: reduces the borowing that goes on, that borrows the money that we don't have. it reduces it by 21%. it lessens the spending by almost $5 trillion. ladies and gentlemen of the ladies and gentlemen of the house, it is high time we become responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. as the gentleman from wisconsin

0:50:09 to 0:50:30( Edit History Discussion )

Eric Cantor: says, we owe it to the people that we represent. we owe it to the working families, to the small business people, to the single working moms out there who are worried about their jobs and the fact that investors are on the sidelines, we owe it to them to try and reinstill the confidce. we've got to set the example. the way we set the example is to be responsible.

0:50:31 to 0:50:52( Edit History Discussion )

Earl Blumenauer: we have got to lay a path for the future and show we are good fiscal stewards of the taxpayer dollars. with that i yield back. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the ge carolina. mr. spratt: i yield a minute to the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer. the chair: the gentleman from oregon is recognized for one

0:50:35 to 0:51:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Earl Blumenauer

0:50:53 to 0:51:15( Edit History Discussion )

Earl Blumenauer: minute. mr. blumenauer: i appreciate the gentleman's courtesy. my friends on the other side of the aisle, and i attempted to from arizona, when not once, but twice today he talked about somehow a $600 billion tax on the american people. i was trying to get his attention to refer to the reserve funds on page 53 for him

0:51:16 to 0:51:39( Edit History Discussion )

Earl Blumenauer: to look at, to find where that -- to find where that number is. where is that number in the budget proposal before us? >> on page 30. will the gentleman yield? mr. blumenauer: the reserve fund

0:51:40 to 0:51:56( Edit History Discussion )

Earl Blumenauer: has no number, it's on page 53 >> first of all. blumenauer i only have a few se >> if the gentleman will yield. mr. blumenauer: the point that people ought to look at the budget, at the reserve fund, find that it is deficit-neutral and that the opportunity is here for us to address the climate

0:51:57 to 0:52:18( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: change and i strongly urge that people refer to it. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from wisconsin. the gentleman from wisconsin. the gentleman from -- who -- mr. ryan: we have no more speakers. if the chairman would -- finish his round of speakers, then that w

0:52:00 to 0:55:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Paul Ryan

0:52:19 to 0:52:39( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: i understand the gentleman reserves the right to close and i'd like it know when his last speaker's up. mr. spratt: we have the right to close, i believe. we have one more speaker. and we'll close with that speake mr. ryan: not two but one more speaker? mr. spratt: one more speaker. the chair: the gentleman from

0:52:40 to 0:53:00( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: wisconsin. mr. ryan: the next speaker was quoted a couple of years ago as saying about our republican budget, when we had a deficit of $248 billion, that this constitutes nothing less than fiscal child abuse because they will morally force our children and grandchildren to pay our bills. i couldn't have said it better myself, madam chair. that's exactly what's happening

0:53:01 to 0:53:22( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: but the budget deficit's not $248 billion, it's $1.8 trillion. we don't even get close to $248 billion under these budgets. yes, we have a tough fiscal situation. we have inherited it, i guess you can say so. the question is, what are we doing about it? are we making it better or are we makg if worse?

0:53:23 to 0:53:43( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: the president's -- making i worse? the president's budget, which is here on the floor makes it so much worse. doubles the debt in 5 1/2 years, triples it in 10. massive tax increases in the middle of a recession. on everyone. and chases ever-higher spending with ever-higher taxes forev.

0:53:44 to 0:54:04( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: we have a different idea. we have differences. nowhere else is it more clear about the differences between our two parties than it is today. the gentleman has spent the last 20 minutes criticizing us for cutting spending. guilty as charged. yes. we need to cut spending.

0:54:05 to 0:54:25( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: wow. i said it. holy cao -- cow. in washington. a novel idea. you know what? we spend too much money in this government. we've got to prioritize spending. the american people, guess what? this is their money. we don't just make it up. well, actually, they're printing

0:54:26 to 0:54:47( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: a lot of it down at the federal reserve now, more than they should. this comes from the american people. it's their money. you keep taking it away from them, you know what happens at the end of the day, madam chair? they don't have as much freedom. they don't have the ability to put groceries on the table. they don't have the ability to pay the mortgage, which might be under water.

0:54:48 to 0:55:09( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: the engine of this economy, of this country, is not its -- it's its people. and we believe that we need to get serious about our fiscal situation. don't raise taxes in a recession, don't borrow and spend your way to prosperity. it never worked in any other

0:55:10 to 0:55:31( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: country. why would it work here? let's get our fiscal house in order, let's get our deficit down, let's get our borrowing down, let's get our taxes down and let's get more jobs and more freedom in this economy and that's exactly what our budget does. it's responsible, it's serious and it makes me give -- it gives me the ability to go home on the

0:55:32 to 0:55:40( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Ryan: airplane tomorrow and look my three kids in the eyes when i hug them and kiss them and tell them, i just ma right by you because i just went to work to

0:55:41 to 0:56:01( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: make your future better. i'm going to go home with a clear conscience. i hope you can say the same. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gen carolina. mr. spratt: madam air, i yield the balance of our time to our distinguished majority leader, mr. hoyer. the chair: the gentleman from

0:55:45 to 1:09:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Steny H. Hoyer

0:56:02 to 0:56:23( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: maryland is recognized for 2 1/2 minutes. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentlelady. i thank the chairman for yielding. and i rise with great respect for the quality of character, the quality of intellectual -- intellect that he brings to his job.

0:56:24 to 0:56:47( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: one of the most important jobs we have in this congress. i also rise with great respect for the ranking member, mr. ryan. i like mr. ryan. i think mr. ryan is a very bright, able, conscientious representative.

0:56:48 to 0:57:08( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: by the way, as an aside, i will tell the gentleman from arizona, mr. shadding, who called our attention to page 30, page 30 is a blank page.

0:57:09 to 0:57:30( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: mr. ryan gave me -- gave my quote. i believe that then -- i believed that then, and i believe it now. i believe we pursued for too long policies of fiscal irresponsibility. a concept that we need not pay for what we bought. i believe it was called supply

0:57:31 to 0:57:52( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: side economics which to me meant that if you do less, you get more. nothing i've done in my life instructs me that if i do less i get more. but because the gentleman used a quote of mine, i thought it might be nice to use a quote of

0:57:53 to 0:58:14( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: his. may 4, 2003, "the journal sent nal." is the deficit a concern? this is a quote. absolutely. but congress should not constrain economic growth and keep people out of work to pay

0:58:15 to 0:58:37( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: down the deficit. coping with the deficit requires getting the economy growing at a more robust rate and getting people back to work. more people with jobs means more tax revenue being generated. this will help us pay down the deficit more quickly and address the financial challenges facing

0:58:38 to 0:58:59( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: social security and medicare as the baby boom generation retires. my, my, my. mr. ryan, you don't seem to feel that way now.

0:59:00 to 0:59:21( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: the fact of the matter is, the obama administration has this inheritance. mr. ryan: will my friend yield on that for a moment? mr. hoyer: certainly. mr. ryan: the deficit went down after that comment. down to $162 billion which was the last year we had control. $162 billion. so it went down because jobs went up. mr. hoyer: you mean the deficit was lower. mr. ryan: no it went down from

0:59:22 to 0:59:42( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: 2003, the deficit was higher in 2003 and it went down to 2006 to $162 billion because of higher economic growth and that's what we're trying to advocate for. getting the deficit down keeping taxes low, getting people into work and you know what? we should have done a better job on spending and on that you're right. mr. hoyer: reclaiming my time. i'm glad the gentleman went

0:59:43 to 1:00:03( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: there. the gentleman knows that under president clinton we had a $5.6 trillion surplus projected. not by clinton, but by george bush. when he took office in march of 2001 he said, i have inherited a

1:00:04 to 1:00:25( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: $5.6 trillion surplus. and indeed in the year before the bush administration came to office, i tell my friend from wisconsin, we created in that last year $1.9 -- 1.9 million new jobs.

1:00:26 to 1:00:47( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: mr. spratt 217,000 jobs per month. you need about 100,000 new jobs a month to stay even. 2 -- excuse me, 230,000 jobs per month were created on average, some months were a lot higher. two million new jobs in the last year of the clinton administration.

1:00:48 to 1:01:08( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: and what happened in the last year of after eight years of the economic policies that you pursued and for six years had total control, what happened? you heard the figures on unemployment. but you double the deficit --

1:01:09 to 1:01:31( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: doubled the deficit from $5 trillion to $10 trillion, the debt, not the deficit. that was t result of your economic policy. i heard the former chairman of the r.s.c., i was constrained to come to the floor, but my staff tied me down, who said, ladies and gentlemen, that we'd been in

1:01:32 to 1:01:52( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: office for 50 days and look what's happened to the country. nobody in america thought that was a credible statement. nobody. the policies of the last eight years have led to the worst economy that we have seen in this country in over a half a century.

1:01:53 to 1:02:13( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: some of us stood on this floor and said, that's what would happen. we did it because we were fiscally irresponsible and because we were regulatory negligent. we took the referees off the field. we preteed that the private sector would referee themselves that they would manage risk

1:02:14 to 1:02:34( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: responsibly. they did not. and the gentleman from texas to whom i'm referring said we didn't care about his children. that's not right. if he loses his job, we provided, as our first bill, that his children will have the availability of health care. but we want to provide his

1:02:35 to 1:02:57( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: children, my children, my great-granddaughter with a fiscally-sound nation -- nation. it is not there now. and it will not be next year. and it won't be the year after. because the hole we have dug is

1:02:58 to 1:03:18( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: so extraordinarily deep that it discipline to get us back to where we were on january 19, 2001. i think everybody in this house wants to do that. but we have different views of how you do that. i've served in this house as the

1:03:19 to 1:03:40( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: geleman's heard me say before now, 29 years. eight of those years has been under a democratic president. bill clinton. 20 of those years under republicans. every single year of a republican presidency since 1981

1:03:41 to 1:04:01( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: has run deep deficits. every one, without failure. now what's the significance of that, you might say? it is that a president alone stop spending. the only one that can stop spending. i can vote against spending, my friend, mr. ryan, can vote against spending but we need 217 other people to do the same.

1:04:02 to 1:04:22( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: only the president of the united states by vetoing spending can say no. esident bush signed bills and presided over an economy that resulted in the doubling of the national debt. and so, my friends, we come to a

1:04:23 to 1:04:43( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: responsible budget, but not the budget any of us would like. why? because as they lament, on the republican side of the aisle, the deficits are too high. they're right. i agree with that. i don't like these deficits. i'd prefer to vote for balanced budgets.

1:04:44 to 1:05:05( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: i voted for a balanced budget amendment. and very frankly, had we had a balanced budget amendment, we'd be in much better shape today because you couldn't have enacted your tax cuts because them and while you were very prepared to give the wealthiest in america big tax cuts, you for th because of the l expressed in that article of 2003.

1:05:06 to 1:05:27( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: my friends, we have an important decision to make and that decision is whether or not our investments in the future will continue by the adoption of this budget. we adopted under the bush administration the temporary assets relief program, troubled assets relief

1:05:28 to 1:05:49( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: there was disagreement on that, not between mr. ryan and myself. we believed it was necessary. we didn't like it. too much money, to much debt, too much but we thought it essential to bring this economy back and to try to keep jobs. it hasn't yet succeeded and we have lost far too many jobs.

1:05:50 to 1:06:10( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: too much pain in america. too many people without a job. too many families who aren't sure where the next meal is coming from or how they are going to pay their mortgage payment or how they're going to send their kid to school. too many americans in pain. now, we can, in my view, deeply cut those items which are there

1:06:11 to 1:06:32( Edit History Discussion )

Steny H. Hoyer: to help people in pain and trouble, asi believe your budget does. or we can do what m. spratt has recommended, bring the deficit down, not to where we'd like it, but bring it down substantial about 3.5% of g.d.p. as opposed