Congressional Record—Senate S554
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S554 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 13, 2012 was passed last August–September, and programs that we are going to have to So not only is he not proposing a the President’s budget is the dotted deal with. Where are we going to find plan that would help the situation, he line. this 500 billion? By the way, this is 1 is lying in wait to politically go after So if we look at what is occurring year’s interest payment, not 10 years. anybody who seriously proposes over the 10-year period, we are starting In 1 year we will be paying $850 billion. changes that can put America on a at $15 trillion in debt today. Where So we take that $500 billion a year sound debt course. I don’t think that is does it end up? It ends up at $26 trillion and run it on for 10 years and we are acceptable. I am deeply disappointed in in debt under the Budget Control Act talking about $5.7 trillion in interest to the budget. I wish it would have been that saved $2 trillion, supposedly. I be paid over 10 years. What about the so much better because I truly believe guess that would have reduced the next 10 years when it is running $1 tril- he could have had support from Con- total debt from $13.5 trillion to $11.5 lion a year in interest as we age and gress to do some things of a historic trillion. We have made some progress. our entitlement programs continue to nature. They were discussed in some of We all knew that wasn’t nearly go into default? these secret committee meetings but enough, but it was at least a step. Our Mr. John Hinderaker, an analyst and never came to fruition. Democratic colleagues didn’t want to blogger, has suggested that this whole Mr. President, I thank the Chair. I cut any more money, so that was the debt we are seeing today and this claim yield the floor and I suggest the ab- of $4 trillion in savings is why we number reached last year and we sence of a quorum. should never have had the secret nego- agreed we needed to come back and do The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. tiations all year. The President has as- some more work. BLUMENTHAL). The clerk will call the serted all year that he had a plan to The President’s budget, which claims roll. save $4 trillion. I guess this is it. What to reduce the growth in our debt by $4 The legislative clerk proceeded to does it do? Nothing. Does it change the trillion, actually only reduces the call the roll. debt course? No. It leads us on a course growth in debt less than $300 billion, Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask that is unacceptable. It does not deal from 11.5 to 11.2. That is not enough. unanimous consent the order for the with the surging entitlements that in- We have had expert after expert tell us quorum call be dispensed with. deed count for over half of the spending we need $4 trillion to $5 trillion to $6 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without trillion. Many believe we ought to put already in the United States of Amer- ica. Entitlements like Medicare, Med- objection, it is so ordered. this country on a path to a balanced f budget and stay there, as I do. We can icaid, Social Security are already near- do that. So the numbers I would say, ly 60 percent of the Federal Govern- CONCLUSION OF MORNING $273 billion, only alters this red line by ment’s spending. How can we control BUSINESS spending if we don’t even talk about the slightest amount, not nearly The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning those programs? And they are growing enough to make a difference in the fi- business is closed. faster. The only thing growing faster is nancial markets, not nearly enough to the interest on the debt. So we have a f create confidence in the business com- deep and serious challenge to bring munity the United States has a plan EXECUTIVE SESSION those programs under control. for its future that will work. I would just close by saying that our Furthermore, the President’s plan debt course has not been altered. Our NOMINATION OF ADALBERTO JOSE does not provide any noticeable effec- debt course is unsustainable. We now JORDAN TO BE UNITED STATES tive effort to do something about Medi- are moving to $26 trillion in debt. I re- CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE ELEV- care, Social Security, Medicaid—these member last year when the Chairman ENTH CIRCUIT programs that are moving every year of the Fed, Mr. Bernanke, testified be- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under gradually and inexorably out of con- fore the committee and said something trol, into default, and will endanger the previous order, the Senate will pro- to this effect: You see those projections ceed to executive session to consider those programs for future generations. of your spending and debt trajectory? I think that is a serious criticism we the following nomination, which the And in the outyears, you have these clerk will report. should make. projections and what it is going to be Finally, I would note the interest on The legislative clerk read the nomi- like. Basically, he said: You are not the debt. What do we pay on the inter- nation of Adalberto Jose Jordan, of going to get there because you are est of the debt? This year this Nation, Florida, to be United States Circuit going to have a debt crisis before that Judge for the Eleventh Circuit. in 2012, will pay $225 billion in interest happens, before those years pass. on the debt. That is almost half the en- Mr. Erskine Bowles, the man chosen The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under tire defense budget. But under the plan by President Obama to head the deficit the previous order, there will be 1 hour submitted by the President—and these commission, with Alan Simpson, they for debate, equally divided, in the usual numbers I am quoting from are in the signed a written statement to the form. President’s own budget, and I am sim- Budget Committee last year, and they Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask ply restating the numbers his Office of said: The course we are on will lead unanimous consent that the time be di- Management and Budget have deter- America to the most predictable finan- vided in such a way that the time will mined. Interest in 2022, 10 years from cial crisis in our history. run out at 5:30 but divided equally be- now, will be $850 billion, from $225 bil- So we can clearly see the path we are tween now and then, between myself or lion to $850 billion. The increase in in- on. It is a path to financial crisis. We my designee and the Republican leader terest alone exceeds the defense budg- have to realize we cannot continue to or his designee. et; $850 billion exceeds any item, in- put this off, and I find it deeply dis- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without cluding Social Security and Medicare, appointing that the President of the objection, it is so ordered. in our budget today and certainly ex- United States, in his fourth year in of- Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it pains ceeds the defense budget. fice, lays out a plan that does nothing me, in a way, to have to come and talk It would be the fastest growing item to improve the financial status of our about this. This is the eighth time the in the entire budget because when we country, does nothing to talk and deal majority leader has had to file a clo- run up debt and we go from $15 trillion seriously with our entitlement pro- ture motion to overcome yet another gross debt to $26 trillion gross debt— grams. Republican filibuster of one of Presi- and we have extraordinarily low inter- Indeed, what he has indicated is that dent Obama’s superbly qualified judi- est rates today. They will not hold. anybody else in Congress, whether it is cial nominees. I have been here during Some think they are going up more Congressman RYAN in the House Budg- the time of President Ford, President than the President estimates in his ac- et Committee or Members of this Sen- Carter, President Reagan, President count. But when we add the interest ate who have the temerity to make any George H.W. Bush, President Clinton, changes and the large amount of addi- suggestions about containing and sav- President George W. Bush, and now tional debt added, it goes from 225 to ing Social Security and Medicare, will President Obama. I have been here 850, crowding out spending for a host of be attacked by him. when the Senate was in Republican VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:01 Feb 14, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G13FE6.023 S13FEPT1 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with SENATE February 13, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S555 control and when it was in Democratic they say I have an important case to be nee. There is no justification for Sen- control. Never during all that time heard. Why won’t the Senate confirm ate Republicans’ refusal to hold votes have I seen anything where the major- the judge who has been nominated? on nearly 20 Senate nominees who also ity leader has had to file so many clo- On every single one of the judges remain stalled waiting for a vote.