[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H969-H970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE OFFICIAL TRUTH SQUAD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Drake). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to 
come before the House this evening and appreciate the leadership 
granting me the opportunity to share a few words with the Speaker and 
with the House.

[[Page H970]]

  I know it is late. We just have five more minutes this evening in our 
House session, but I am here to represent the Official Truth Squad. And 
the Official Truth Squad, as so many folks know, was begun by a group 
of freshmen Republicans. Having been in Congress now for about 15 
months, and throughout the last year, we had talked with each other and 
with others in Congress about why is it that you so often hear so much 
misinformation and disinformation on the floor of the House. And so we 
thought what we would do as a group is to get together and begin the 
Official Truth Squad.
  And I know it is late, Madam Speaker, and I was going to give folks a 
break and not take the remaining 5 minutes of the evening, but I was 
sitting over in my office and I was listening to the previous 
presentation by some well-meaning folks on the other side of the aisle, 
and they talked about this, the need for accountability in the 
budgeting process. And I know that my colleagues and I couldn't agree 
more. We couldn't agree more.
  What I would like to do in this very brief time that we have, though, 
is to bring a little truth to the debate, and that is the issue of the 
balanced budget amendment. We, so many of us, support a balanced budget 
amendment. We agree that there ought to be appropriate accountability. 
I believe that the desire or the inertia to restrain spending at the 
Federal level is, frankly, nonexistent. So I think that it is 
imperative that we have some kind of control on the amount of spending 
that we have here in Washington. And one way to do that, and I believe 
an appropriate way to do that, is through a balanced budget amendment.
  We just heard within the past hour some folks on the other side who 
say, yeah, we think there ought to be a balanced budget amendment. But 
what's the truth about their actions when given the opportunity? And 
that is what the Official Truth Squad is about, is to make certain that 
folks are held accountable for not just talking the talk, but walking 
the walk.
  Here is the most recent opportunity that Congress has had to vote on 
a balanced budget amendment. Now, this was an actual vote in 1997 on a 
balanced budget amendment. And how did the other side vote? Well, 8 
individuals on the other side said, yeah, that is an appropriate thing 
to do; we believe that that is the kind of budget accountability that 
we need: 194 was the ``no'' vote on the other side. 194.
  And, Madam Speaker, I might mention that it included a majority of 
the folks who call themselves Blue Dog Democrats. And I don't do this 
to point fingers, but I do do it to say that when you are talking about 
issues, it is important to speak the truth and to allow and have your 
vote follow your speech.
  The Official Truth Squad, we have some, a number of mottos, and a 
number of quotes that we enjoy. One of the quotes that we enjoy and 
appreciate is that of the former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan who 
said oftentimes that you are welcome to your own opinion, but you are 
not welcome to your own facts. And, Madam Speaker, this is a fact. And 
this is a fact that speaks louder than anything I could ever, ever say 
which says that when given the opportunity for budget accountability, 
that the vast majority of individuals on the other side of the aisle 
said, no, we really don't want to do that. We say we want to do that, 
but in fact we really don't want to do that.
  So I am pleased to come before the House this evening, Madam Speaker. 
I look forward to coming back tomorrow. We will be back tomorrow to 
shed some more light on some economic good news with the American 
people and to bring that truth, those pearls of truth that are so 
incredibly important as we talk about the remarkable challenges that 
confront us as a Nation, not Republican challenges, not Democrat 
challenges, but American challenges that we all need to solve together.

                          ____________________