The National Debt

THE NATIONAL DEBT -- (House of Representatives - November 16, 2005)

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Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I feel very privileged and honored to be here with my fellow Blue Dogs.

Our debate is going out across the country thanks to C-SPAN, and I think it is very important that we understand that the American people have awakened. All of the polls show it. The American people are glued in to what is happening here in Washington, and right they should be.

I want to start off by saying that so that individuals who are tuning in who would like to know just what are the Blue Dogs, more than anything else, we pride ourselves on being, first and foremost, good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. We provide the sterling leadership in the Democratic Party for responsible fiscal responsibility.

For 5 years, we in the Blue Dog Coalition have been begging and pleading that this Congress develop a plan to pay as you go. Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago when the Clinton administration left office, we had a surplus. Billions and billions and billions of dollars were left in surplus. Now 5 years later, under the Bush administration, we are trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars in debt. Make no mistake about it, our debt and our deficit is the number one problem and issue facing the survival and the future of our democracy. And we are concerned about this national debt.

But at a time when we are expressly concerned about it and pushing forward for responsible measures on the Democratic side, it is the height of hypocrisy, it is the height of being insensitive, it is the height of indeed smoke and mirrors for this Republican-led Congress and this Republican President to, under the guise of giving a tax cut for billionaires and millionaires across this country, say he wants to cut spending.

Cut spending of the most vital services, the most important needs in this country, as a matter of fact, in the history of this country, in this 20th century. We have just been hit with the worst hurricane season in modern times. Katrina was the worst that anybody can remember. Billions and billions and billions of dollars worth of damage, an entire city, entire region almost totally destroyed. Over 250,000 American citizens without homes. We all remember those pictures, down in New Orleans, in the flood. Our hearts went out to those people. Well, our hearts must continue to go out to those people.

And the reason it is the height of hypocrisy is here is the President of the United States and this Republican controlled Congress, who says that they want to offset a $70 billion tax cut for the wealthiest people in this country on the backs of those poor victims of this hurricane.

On the front page of the Washington Post this morning, the answer from FEMA is to throw 150,000 American citizens who have become homeless on the street. The answer from The White House and the answer from this Congress has been to cut the very programs that will help these victims the most. The most effective programs that have helped them has been the food stamp program. And under this budget, this Republican held Congress, and this President proposes to cut food stamps by $850 million. Not only at a time when we have people who are homeless, without jobs, without hope, but according to the Agriculture Department, just this year alone, we have added 2 million more citizens to the hunger roles. The Republicans answer, cut the very program that has been designed to help them by $850 billion.

Medicaid. Under this budget planned by the Republicans and President Bush, they want to cut Medicaid by $12 billion, when 45 million Americans, mostly senior elderly citizens, are going without any kind of health insurance.

And our farmers? Cut them by $2 billion. Farmers who have been devastated by the flood, who have been hurt by the flood. Now is not the time to cut the farmers.

And our veterans, $3 billion. Lord knows. We have not been doing right by our veterans. We have cut them. We have cut them. We have cut them. And the President's answer is, cut the veterans. This Republican Congress's is to cut the veterans. Is that not a reason why they have had difficulty in getting the votes? Why they have had to pull the bill last week?

And the American people need to wake up and understand and put the calls in to your Republican congressman to let them know that America does not want to cut the basic services for the needy while trying to add a $70 billion tax cut for the millionaires and the billionaires. They do not need the money. But the children do.

This budget will cut children's nutrition by $2 billion and $5 billion in child support. Heating oil is cut at a time when the oil companies are getting record profits, and their executives are sitting fast.

Student loans, $14 billion at a time when going to college costs so much. There will be tens of thousands of American children who will not go to college if this Republican budget reconciliation bill passes. That is why this is so important. That is why it is important.

Listen to me, America. And if you know other people, tell them to tune in. We are here to tell you the facts. This Blue Dog coalition is one of the most influential groups on Capitol Hill, and the reason why is because people trust us. We have earned that. We have earned that distinction. Folks like Charlie Stenholm, John Tanner, they have pioneered and set the curve. Respect across party lines. Respect across this country, the Blue Dog coalition. We are speaking the truth tonight.

William Shakespeare said it well when he wrote that great play, Julius Caesar, when he said, et tu Brutus? Yours is the meanest cut of all. And that is what these Republicans are doing in this bill. It is mean. It is cold, and it is wrong. And the American people deserve better. And we are going to give them better.

So Mr. Ross and my fellow Blue Dogs, we are here tonight to speak the truth. We are here tonight to let the American people know, and we hope and we pray that we will be successful in stopping this budget reconciliation bill from being devastating to the American people.

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Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman raises such a great point on the interest, and I think the American people need to know that just on the money that we are paying these other countries, just on the interest, it amounts to more than what we are paying for our own homeland security.

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Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Absolutely, our plan, the Blue Dog plan number eight, is to justify spending for pet projects, that while we have many projects that may be worthy, it is very important that we have written justification available to the public so the public can see, and it strengthens our credibility to make sure we are spending the taxpayer's money in an efficient effective manner, justify the spending for pet projects.

Number nine, ensure that Congress reads the bills it is voting on. So many times, we do not even have the time to read the bills we are voting on. How can you vote intelligently on an issue if you are not even given the time? The Blue Dogs will recommend that we at least be given a minimum of 3 days to finally look at the legislation, to make sure that we understand and have all the information for a vote.

Number ten, require honest cost estimates for every bill that Congress votes on, most important. Get the right amount of money that it is going to cost.

Number 11, make sure new bills fit the budget, pay-as-you-go, make sure that we are not putting in more than we have to spend.

Number 12, make sure that Congress does a better job of keeping tabs on government programs. The Blue Dogs propose that each committee be required to submit a report at least twice a year, available again to the public, which is very important that we make known that we want to make sure the public is a working, participating partner in our 12 points.

Mr. Speaker, those are our 12 points. We are very proud of them. I think they make sense. It gives vision. It gives direction. It gives purpose.

I want to just conclude, because I know our time is short, before I hand it back to the gentleman from Arkansas, we are at Thanksgiving. What an extraordinary time. Families all over this country a week from tomorrow will be gathering together. We have got to make sure that we give them a Thanksgiving that they will appreciate, and I assure you that they will not appreciate cutting Medicaid. They will not appreciate cutting the farmers' programs. The veterans are not going to have a good Thanksgiving if they know that their benefits are cut by $2 billion. Our students are not going to have a good Thanksgiving if they know that the student loan program is being cut by $14 billion; our children, child support $5 billion, child nutrition, food stamps.

We have got to make sure that our people have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. The way to do that is if they bring that budget reconciliation bill up before we leave, in the name of the American people, we must vote it down.

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