[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 190 (Tuesday, December 15, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H14884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE DEBT CEILING AND DEFENSE SPENDING

  (Mr. OLSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, in what has become a familiar move, House 
Democrats have decided to increase spending yet again. But sadly, they 
have opted to shut out debate on this matter by attaching a $300 
billion increase in our Nation's debt ceiling to the Defense 
appropriations bill. They know they will have serious trouble getting 
support to increase our Nation's debt limit, so they are using our 
troops to carry them.
  This is one of the reasons the American people are fed up with 
Congress. And as a Navy veteran, I can assure you that exploiting 
funding for our troops is both deplorable and demoralizing, and I will 
continue to oppose such actions.
  We owe the American people, our children, our grandchildren, and the 
men and women risking their lives in defense of our freedom better than 
this. At Christmas, we should be hanging ornaments on a tree, not 
massive spending bills on the back of our troops.

                          ____________________