OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 22, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Finance and Banking Energy

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, what the previous gentlemen did not say is that Solyndra received $500 million because they have friends in high places. Despite even people in this administration who said don't do it, they received $500 million. If that was in a different country, we wouldn't call it waste; we would call it corruption. But we won't do that here. The gentleman didn't say that.

He talks about the revolution. This cuts $100 million from a program that gave because of influence, because of friends in high places, because of bundlers of campaign contribution funds to a corporation that went bankrupt and laid off a thousand people after receiving this money.

Mr. DICKS. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. DICKS. I would just point out that one of the largest investors was Walmart, and Walmart has a long history of supporting Republican candidates. And I will just say, I will just say they invested, I think, $3 or $400 million. So there was a lot of private sector investment here, too.

I appreciate it.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. I reclaim my time.

Despite what the gentleman says, Mr. Speaker, the previous President's administration denied the funding for Solyndra because they knew it was a scam, regardless of anything else. This administration did that.

Now, the reason we have to support this CR--let's cut politics aside. Let's not talk about revolutions of money blown like stimulus money, that was blown. The reason this CR makes sense is because there are people who are suffering from natural disasters. This CR funds that program and it helps them out. And the reason this is important is because it controls the size and the cost of the Federal Government that is totally out of control.

So no more gimmicks, no more giveaways to friends of friends because of high pressure.

Let's pass this CR so we can keep the government rolling, so we can slow down the growth of government, and so we can help the victims without corruption of those who have friends in high places.

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