Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2012 No. 171 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. and was who demanded this system of expiring steps. The good news is that, if we ever called to order by the Speaker pro tem- cuts and sequestration in the first got the chance to consider them in a pore (Mr. HARPER). place. fair and open debate on the floor of the Make no mistake. There will be some f House, we would find bipartisan sup- real damage. We will be squeezing some port for each of these real saving op- DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO people who deserve far better, and then tions. The good news is that, ulti- TEMPORE we’ll be scrambling to refine the budg- mately, we are going to take these The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- et reductions in a way that makes steps, proving, once again, the wisdom fore the House the following commu- sense. And some time in the hours, of Winston Churchill when he observed nication from the Speaker: days, and weeks ahead, we will get a that you could always count on the semibalanced small agreement, very Americans to do the right thing after WASHINGTON, DC, likely, struggling throughout the new December 31, 2012. they have exhausted every other possi- I hereby appoint the Honorable GREGG Congress with budget bluster, espe- bility. cially in the House, moving from crisis HARPER to act as Speaker pro tempore on f this day. to deadline to showdown. JOHN A. BOEHNER, It’s ironic because it doesn’t need to GOING OFF THE FISCAL CLIFF Speaker of the House of Representatives. be this hard. We could use the pressure WITH POCKETS FULL OF SOME- f and revenue from expiring temporary ONE ELSE’S MONEY tax cuts to enact tax reform to provide The SPEAKER pro tempore. The MORNING-HOUR DEBATE the money that a growing and aging Chair recognizes the gentleman from American population needs, but do it The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Texas (Mr. POE) for 5 minutes. ant to the order of the House of Janu- in a simpler, fairer way. We could actu- Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, ‘‘We ary 17, 2012, the Chair will now recog- ally reduce entitlement spending on don’t have a trillion-dollar debt be- Medicare by accelerating the health nize Members from lists submitted by cause we haven’t taxed enough; we care reform, which is what, in Oregon, the majority and minority leaders for have a trillion-dollar debt because we we’ve committed to do in exchange for morning-hour debate. spend too much.’’ That was Ronald some flexibility and some upfront fund- The Chair will alternate recognition Reagan in 1982. ing. We have in place a program going between the parties, with each party President Reagan went on to lead forward that, if done on a national limited to 30 minutes and each Member America out of a recession, but history level, would save over $1 trillion over other than the majority and minority has a way of repeating itself. Somehow, leaders and the minority whip limited the next 10 years. We shouldn’t be fooling around with Washington never gets the message, to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall patching an outmoded, unfair farm bill. and here we are, 30 years later on the debate continue beyond 9:50 a.m. Let’s reform it to support family farm- brink of another crisis on New Year’s f ers and ranchers, beginning farmers, Eve, still addicted to spending money. Now we are over $16 trillion in debt. THE FISCAL CLIFF especially those who grow food, not large agribusiness producing heavily President Reagan’s words and prin- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The subsidized commodities. We can save ciples remain true today, and they Chair recognizes the gentleman from money, protect the environment, en- were true when he said them: the prob- Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- hance wildlife, the experience for hunt- lem is spending money. utes. ers and fishermen, and have a healthier Mr. Speaker, the American people Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, America. know this. Why doesn’t the Federal Congress is here on New Year’s Eve The military is the greatest source of Government and Congress understand with the people they love: themselves, money. We can start with 135,000 sol- it? Why? Because Washington is ob- the special interests, and the policies diers scattered in over 1,000 bases sessed with spending someone else’s of the past. across the globe. We have a nuclear ar- money. It’s the arrogance of power The overhyped fiscal cliff may well senal where we are spending several that Congress spends the people’s be upon us, and we will find $600 billion hundred billion dollars on weapons we money without regard to how this ob- of deficit reduction with tax increases can’t use, we don’t need and can’t af- session affects those very people. and spending cuts, and then there will ford. When American families are in debt, be the howls that we are doing it too Mr. Speaker, the good news is that they sacrifice and they cut spending, abruptly from some of the same people the public would support us in these whether that means taking one less b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H7471 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 08:30 Jan 01, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A31DE7.000 H31DEPT1 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with H7472 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 31, 2012 family vacation or fewer presents not by taxing too little. We’re going off Democrats would have protected Social under the Christmas tree. Homes the cliff with our pockets full of some- Security and Medicare, and both sides across the fruited plain are feeling the body else’s money. get a chance over 30 days to legislate— pain of the economic squeeze in their And that’s just the way it is. God forbid we should legislate around wallets, and they adjust accordingly, f here—targeted cuts instead of the because that’s what happens when meat-axe approach to cutting spending. times are tough. American families b 0910 I think that’s the best we can do for don’t have a limited credit card like MIDNIGHT MAGIC the American people. We transmogrify Congress does. this bill with the magic of midnight The people are angry because they The SPEAKER pro tempore. The from one that increases taxes on the wonder why reckless Washington can’t Chair recognizes the gentleman from job creators—income over $250,000 or do the same. I hear that message every Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO) for 5 minutes. $450,000—to one that actually gives tax day from southeast Texans. These citi- Mr. DEFAZIO. All but those in total cuts to 98 percent of America, some- zens are wiser than the tax-and- denial—and there is a lot of that inside thing both sides can go home and brag spendocrats here in Washington, D.C. the D.C. Beltway—would admit that we about. Let me share a few of those straight- need a combination of increased reve- No cliff. talking Texans’ words with you. nues, taxes—the gentleman before me f Michael says this: disagrees—and spending cuts to restore fiscal stability. Especially with a still- THE SGR NEEDS TO BE PATCHED You can’t have the cookies without the NOW milk. Tax reform and spending cuts, not one weak economy, we don’t need blanket without the other. tax increases that would hit the hard- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Hubert from Baytown, Texas, says working families of the middle class, Chair recognizes the gentleman from this: and we don’t need brain-dead, across- Georgia (Mr. PRICE) for 5 minutes. the-board spending cuts that mete out Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, Our children and grandchildren will have in the late 1990s, Congress came up to recover from reckless spending. Wash- the same percentage cuts to wasteful ington has a spending problem, not a taxing and unneeded programs and high-func- with a new formula to determine how problem. tioning essential programs. We can do much to pay doctors for taking care of Jeff says: better, and the American people de- seniors in the Medicare program. It’s called the ‘‘sustainable growth rate,’’ You don’t become fiscally responsible by serve better. continued increases in your credit card In that spirit, I offer the following or the SGR. And like so many Wash- spending limit. Folks in Congress need to ideas. Pick one of the numbers floating ington solutions, it doesn’t work. quit running from the hard choices and stop out there. Let’s restore the Clinton-era Before coming to Congress, I was a burying our children and grandchildren in tax rates on income over $250,000, doctor. I took care of patients for over debt. $400,000, $450,000. They are bargaining 20 years. I remember thinking at the David from Humble, Texas, said this: out there. Whatever. We are restoring time that the SGR program was put This isn’t really rocket science.

Load more