Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 2.

It represents an attack on the middle class and the most vulnerable in our society by the Grover Norquist Tea Party Republicans. You see, there is no fiscal emergency, but the fiscal crisis has been manufactured by the Tea Partiers, along with Grover Norquist and the Republicans that represent them, for the purposes of tricking the American people into thinking that America can't pay its bills. We paid our debts, we can pay our debts, and we'll continue to pay our debts.

Just like families of America who incur debt as a normal course of taking care of their families, we've heard a lot of analogies to the Federal Government should balance its budget like a family. But how many 99ers, how many families do you know that can go out and purchase a car for cash? How many of those 99ers, how many of those families out there working can afford to pay cash for a house? Everybody out there incurs debt for legitimate expenses, and this Nation has legitimate expenses that it has to pay debts for, like two wars, like a Medicare part D supplement, and like the Bush tax cuts that they don't want to expire.

So what they're doing, ladies and gentlemen, is they are trying to enshrine in the Constitution what is already an unfair tax system, a system that favors the rich and balances the budget on the backs of the middle class. Those are the people that pay for America's expenses, not the corporations and wealthy individuals, many of whom do not pay one red cent in taxes--and you know it's true, and they know it's true.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I rise in strong opposition. This is shortsighted, mean-spirited, unfair, and wrong for America, and I urge my colleagues to vote against it.

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