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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 113 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 159 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013 No. 138 House of Representatives The House met at noon and was spread of disease. Those concentration Michael Mullen, warned Congress that called to order by the Speaker pro tem- camps helped my dad, and America, un- America’s greatest national security pore (Mr. HOLDING). derstand why we fought in Europe. threat is not Iran, not al Qaeda, not f Today, Washington is in an epic po- China, not Russia; it is our debt. Admi- litical battle that will affect America’s ral Mullen is prophetic. In recent his- DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO future for decades and centuries to tory, no enemy has done as much dam- TEMPORE come. Some see a fight between Repub- age to America’s military and national The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- licans and Democrats. I see a fight be- security as have debt and sequestra- fore the House the following commu- tween those who are financially re- tion. nication from the Speaker: sponsible and those who are not, be- President Obama’s Comptroller Gen- WASHINGTON, DC, tween those who have the under- eral, Gene Dodaro, warned Congress October 7, 2013. standing and backbone needed to pre- and the White House earlier this year I hereby appoint the Honorable GEORGE vent an American bankruptcy and that America’s deficits and debt are HOLDING to act as Speaker pro tempore on those who do not. unsustainable, which brings us to to- this day. Why do I fight? I fight for America’s day’s fight involving a government JOHN A. BOEHNER, children and grandchildren. I fight for shutdown, debt ceilings, and socialized Speaker of the House of Representatives. America’s future. medicine. No question, a government f President Obama’s five deficits have shutdown hampers the economy. Be- MORNING-HOUR DEBATE averaged $1 trillion per year, the worst tween 1976 and 1995, there were 17 gov- in history. America soon will blow ernment shutdowns. Yet, America’s The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- through the $17 trillion debt mark, the economy boomed in the 1980s and 1990s. ant to the order of the House of Janu- worst in history. Shutdowns can be overcome. ary 3, 2013, the Chair will now recog- Mr. Speaker, it is challenging to No question, not raising the debt nize Members from lists submitted by grasp trillion-dollar deficits and a $17 ceiling poses economic risk. No one the majority and minority leaders for trillion debt. Let me simplify. In each knows for sure how much risk, because morning-hour debate. of the last 5 years, the Federal Govern- America has never crossed this thresh- The Chair will alternate recognition ment borrowed 20 to 30 percent of its old before. Whatever it is, it can be between the parties, with each party operational costs. How many American overcome. limited to 1 hour and each Member families or businesses could avoid Knowing these risks, why do I fight other than the majority and minority bankruptcy if, year after year, 20 to 30 over funding bills, the debt ceiling, and leaders and the minority whip limited percent of what they spent was bor- socialized medicine? Because too many to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall rowed money? Not many, and not for Washington politicians pander to the debate continue beyond 1:50 p.m. long. next election’s voters without caring f Economic principles don’t care if you one whit about America’s future—be- are a family, a business, or a country. cause appropriations bills, continuing WHY WE FIGHT If you borrow more than you can pay resolutions, the debt ceiling, and the The SPEAKER pro tempore. The back, you go bankrupt. America has like are the only leverage I have to ca- Chair recognizes the gentleman from been warned of the consequences of fi- jole financially irresponsible Wash- Alabama (Mr. BROOKS) for 5 minutes. nancial irresponsibility. Greece is fur- ington politicians into doing what Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speak- ther down the debt path than America. must be done to prevent an American er, the ‘‘Band of Brothers’’ episode, Greece’s unemployment rate is 27 per- bankruptcy. ‘‘Why We Fight,’’ reminds me of an ex- cent, worse than any year in America’s It is because, as bad as government perience my father, Jack Brooks, Great Depression. shutdown and debt ceiling risks may shared with me. At age 23, dad was a Earlier this year, Cyprus confiscated be, they are relatively inconsequential combat engineer in General Patton’s as much as 60 percent of their citizens’ compared to the economic devastation army. Near war’s end, dad was ordered savings and checking accounts. The resulting from an American bank- to help at a German concentration Detroit and Stockton municipal bank- ruptcy. Think about the chaos and camp. Dad and his fellow soldiers saw ruptcies risk retirees losing their pen- hardship that will ensue if America has human bodies decomposing and stacked sions. no national defense, no FBI, CIA, or like cordwood, 5- and 6-feet high, with President Obama’s former chairman DEA, no Social Security, Medicaid, or lime sprinkled on them to retard the of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Medicare, no NASA, no justice system 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. H6323 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:02 Oct 08, 2013 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A07OC7.000 H07OCPT1 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H6324 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 7, 2013 because an American bankruptcy has actually over a thousand people even The stories go on and on. deprived us of the money needed to pay though, again, coverage doesn’t even I have a letter from an individual for them. begin until January. who actually wrote to The New York Why do I fight? I fight to minimize So for a lot of people, again, the need Times, talking about the fact that on the risk of America suffering a debili- to enroll right away doesn’t exist right day 1 there were reports about how ter- tating bankruptcy that can destroy the now because you have to actually write rible the system is. She said: America it took our ancestors cen- a check if you are going to enroll this I tried to sign up. I had absolutely no dif- turies to build. early. But nonetheless, still, a thou- ficulty getting all the answers I needed and Mr. Speaker, it is my duty to use any sand people have already signed up. all the forms to fill out on the very first try. tools I can to win that fight, because And as I said, 100,000 were able to con- The entire process was simple, direct, and tact the system and interacted with it easy to follow. Please don’t forget all of us this is one fight America cannot afford who, while maybe not newsworthy, are a to lose. That is why I fight. with little or no problem. large part of the equation. First of all, I would just like to again f congratulate Lieutenant Governor Her name is Hu Lindsay from Nor- LET US VOTE Nancy Wyman, who has been sort of walk, Connecticut. So, again, the folks at the health shepherding and quarterbacking this The SPEAKER pro tempore. The care exchange who have been planning process over the last few months or so, Chair recognizes the gentleman from and preparing for months have dem- again, to make sure that Connecticut’s Michigan (Mr. LEVIN) for 5 minutes. onstrated that that demand can be met system was ready. Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, this will be if you have the right planning in place a short 5-minute, indeed a short 1- And I wanted to share, again, a cou- ple of the stories of individuals who and that, when people actually have a minute, because it all can be said in a chance to get past all the nonsense very few words. contacted the Connecticut Health Ex- change over the last week or so to de- that is thrown around out there about Yesterday, the Speaker said ‘‘there the end of American freedom and actu- are not enough votes in the House to scribe their experiences. There was 48- year-old Elly Baros, who said that she ally see that they can buy private pass’’ a clean bill to fund the govern- health insurance plans—again, Con- ment and end the shutdown. was pleased to be one step closer to en- rolling in health insurance. The New necticut offers three private health in- There is one clear way to find out, surance plans, Anthem Blue Cross, Mr. Speaker: let us vote on the floor of Britain woman, who spent the entire afternoon at the health center going ConnectiCare, and Healthy Con- the House. necticut—the system will work. That’s On Saturday, 195 of us Democrats through her options, has been without coverage for a year and a half due to a why we must keep this government sent a letter to the Speaker, saying we open and not buckle to the folks who are willing to vote ‘‘yes.’’ And the re- layoff.