[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 40 (Friday, March 6, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3069-H3070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AMERICANS BELIEVE GROWING DEFICIT AND DEBT IS THREAT TO COUNTRY AND 
              BIPARTISAN COMMISSION PROCESS IS WAY FORWARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, earlier this week the Peter G. Peterson 
Foundation, founded by former Commerce Secretary Pete Peterson, whose 
president is former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, released the 
results of a survey conducted by Peter Hart Research Associates and 
Public Opinion Strategies which looked specifically at public attitude 
toward America's fiscal policies.
  According to this survey, by a significant margin, 56 to 30 percent, 
registered voters prefer a bipartisan commission to the regular 
congressional process as the best means to begin tackling our growing 
budget deficit and national debt. The fact is there really isn't even a 
congressional process that is dealing with this issue.
  The bipartisan commission Congressman Cooper and I have proposed with 
every spending program on the table with tax policy is the approach 
that will lead to a solution. Congress would be forced to vote on the 
commission's recommendations. Over 111 Members of this House pledged 
their support last session, bipartisan, and Senate Budget Chairman Kent 
Conrad and Ranking Member Judd Gregg have offered similar legislation 
in the Senate.
  Just look around. Main Street is suffering. Everyone knows the 
country is in trouble. The American people are experiencing a crisis of 
confidence. The Dow is falling through the floor, below 7,000 
yesterday. Unemployment, the latest figure came out today, 8.1 percent 
unemployment in the Nation with 650,000 jobless claims for just last 
month. The American people need their confidence restored, and this 
bipartisan commission would restore it, would restore the confidence.
  The American people believe that elected officials will work together 
to solve the Nation's most pressing problems, but this confidence is 
dwindling with every piece of bad news that factors into the country's 
economic narrative.
  As evidenced by the Peter Hart Research/Public Opinion data, a 
majority of the American people understand that this Congress is 
broken. It has become a partisan political place. And if it takes a 
commission with teeth for Congress to deliver on its responsibilities, 
then so be it.
  If other Members, and there may very well be better ideas, if other 
Members have a better idea, then they ought to put it forward and we 
ought to pass it. But if we don't address entitlement spending in the 
over $56 trillion in unfunded obligations through Social Security, 
Medicare and Medicaid, our children and their grandchildren will pay 
the price.
  In closing, Madam Speaker, I believe that a bipartisan commission 
would renew America's confidence in the economy and in the ability of 
our elected leaders to come together. I was the author of what they 
call the Baker-Hamilton Commission, the Iraq Study Group, where we 
brought both sides together, five Republicans and five Democrats, and 
we saw the good that came out of that.

[[Page H3070]]

  This would provide a brighter future. This would provide a 
renaissance in this Nation. This would provide a bright future whereby 
we could then put more money into math and science and physics and 
chemistry, more money into autism research and more money into cancer 
research and more money into research for Alzheimer's, and really 
electrify America whereby we are creating jobs for the sake of the 
country.
  For the sake of our children and grandchildren, this Congress and 
this administration should do this. And let me just say, this is a 
bipartisan criticism, the Bush administration, Secretary Paulson did 
not do a very good job on this and missed that opportunity. Now this 
administration has an opportunity. So hopefully this Congress and this 
administration, and if this administration doesn't do it, this Congress 
will do it, will vote to set up a bipartisan panel to deal with 
America's financial future to give hope to our children and our 
grandchildren and create a renaissance in America so we can honestly 
say America's best days are yet ahead.

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