Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. PERRY. Thank you for yielding, Mr. Chairman.

I deeply care about my mother, who's on Social Security and Medicare, and my two little girls, who are counting on their daddy to make sure that those programs are available when the time comes, and, of course, for the constituents that are counting on me to make sure that those programs are available for them. So I commend Chairman Ryan on his leadership in drafting a budget that responsibly addresses our national debt and ensures that my own children and all the residents of the Fourth District of Pennsylvania are not burdened with Washington's spending problem any longer.

This legislation balances our budget in 10 years. I know some folks are saying, Why 10 years? And I say, Why not ever in your budgets? Why not ever? It reduces spending and makes responsible reforms to mandatory spending programs.

For the past few weeks, I've heard from hundreds of constituents, including my very own mother, about how this budget will change Social Security for current beneficiaries, and I want to make clear that the Ryan budget does not do that. It does not cut Social Security. But I will remind everybody that the Social Security Disability Insurance fund will be insolvent by 2016. That's 3 years from now. So if you're 21 years old, when you're 24, it's insolvent. If you're 45 years old, when you're 48, it's insolvent.

The Medicare part A trust fund will be exhausted by 2024. This is not a long time away for young people or old people. I had to remind my mom that, if these programs were not reformed, there would be nothing left for her grandchildren, there would be nothing let for her son, and very likely there will be nothing left for her. This legislation makes those reforms responsible by allowing Medicare recipients the opportunity to choose options specific to their needs, and it repeals the President's plan to have a group of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats to slash Medicare benefits for seniors, including my mom.

It also repeals the President's health care law, which has placed an undue burden on our job creators and their families. Penn Waste, a company in the district I represent, has told me that ObamaCare health care costs, the Affordable Health Care law, will cost their employees a minimum of $68 a week more right now. That's a meal out with your family. That's an extra tank of gas in your car.

This budget also ensures our servicemen and -women are protected by providing $560 billion for defense spending in fiscal year 2014, an amount consistent with America's military goals and strategies.

This budget is responsible. The Senate budget, the Democrat budget, each one starts at no less than a trillion dollars in new spending. I urge everybody to support the Ryan budget.

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