[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 2 (Thursday, January 6, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H62-H68]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESOLUTION TO CUT CONGRESS' BUDGET
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend
the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 22) reducing the amount
authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and
leadership offices in 2011 and 2012.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 22
Resolved,
SECTION 1. REDUCTION IN MEMBERS' REPRESENTATIONAL ALLOWANCE.
(a) Allowances Adopted in 2011 and 2012.--The amount of any
Members' Representational Allowance established in accordance
with section 101 of the House of Representatives
Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act (2 U.S.C.
57b) for 2011 or 2012 may not exceed 95 percent of the amount
of the Allowance so established for 2010.
(b) Interim Reduction Pending Adoption of New Allowance.--
Until a Members' Representational Allowance is established in
accordance with section 101 of the House of Representatives
Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act (2 U.S.C.
57b) for 2011, the amount of such Allowance, as in effect on
the date of the adoption of this resolution, is reduced by 5
percent.
SEC. 2. REDUCTION IN AMOUNT AUTHORIZED FOR SALARIES AND
EXPENSES OF HOUSE LEADERSHIP OFFICES IN 2011
AND 2012.
(a) Reduction.--The head of any House leadership office may
not authorize the disbursement of any amounts appropriated
for salaries and expenses of such office during calendar year
2011 or fiscal year 2012 at a rate exceeding 95 percent of
the rate provided for such salaries and expenses for fiscal
year 2010.
(b) Definition.--In this section, a ``House leadership
office'' is any office whose salaries and expenses were
appropriated for fiscal year 2010 under the heading ``House
leadership offices'' in the Legislative Branch Appropriations
Act, 2010.
SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN AMOUNT AUTHORIZED FOR EXPENSES OF
COMMITTEES IN 2011 AND 2012.
(a) Primary Expense Resolutions.--The aggregate amount
authorized for expenses of committees of the House of
Representatives for 2011 and 2012 under primary expense
resolutions adopted by the House under clause 6 of rule X of
the Rules of the House of Representatives may not exceed 95
percent of the aggregate amount provided for expenses of
committees under such resolutions for 2009 and 2010.
(b) Interim Funding Pending Adoption of Primary Expense
Resolutions.--Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of clause 7 of
rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, each
committee described in paragraph (a) of such clause shall be
entitled for each month during the period specified in
paragraph (a) of such clause to 95 percent of the amount
otherwise determined under paragraph (c) of such clause.
SEC. 4. REDUCTION IN AMOUNT AUTHORIZED FOR SALARIES AND
EXPENSES OF COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS IN 2011
AND 2012.
The chair of the Committee on Appropriations may not
authorize the disbursement of any amounts appropriated for
salaries and expenses of the Committee during fiscal year
2011 or fiscal year 2012 at a rate exceeding 91 percent of
the rate provided for such salaries and expenses for fiscal
year 2010.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 5(b) of House Resolution
5, the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren) and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) each will control 1 hour.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today is a momentous day. We are all here together as
Members of a new Congress and, more importantly, at the cusp of a new
era in America's political life. I find it humbling and most
appropriate that while yesterday we were ceremonially sworn in in this
historic House Chamber and appropriately voted on a transparency-
enhancing rules package, today we began our proceedings with a reading
of the United States Constitution. The Constitution not only
establishes our polity and our framework of government, it enshrines as
our fundamental law the proper role of government.
Mr. Speaker, as we promised in our Pledge to America, today's reading
was an affirmation of our commitment to return this government back to
its proper role--a smaller, less costly, more accountable one.
Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us, introduced by my colleague
from Oregon, is extremely important to today's affirmation. And it is
no accident that this is our first piece of legislative business in
this the 112th Congress.
This legislation is significant because, along with our other
activities here on the House floor this week, this bill committing
ourselves to a more responsible and efficient stewardship of
[[Page H63]]
the taxpayers' dollars demonstrates, we hope, to the American people
that we are listening.
Mr. Speaker, the people's House should act first and lead by example.
Everybody knows that across this country families and small businesses
have cut their spending, are paying off their debt, and are striving to
live within their means. We should do the same, and this legislation is
a beginning. It will do that by having an immediate impact, and I would
like to thank the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) and his transition
team for their hard work and their constructive ideas.
Under this resolution, each leadership, committee and Member office
in the 112th Congress will receive no more than 95 percent of its 111th
Congress funding level. In fiscal year 2011, this will mean a savings
of $1 million from leadership offices, a savings of $8.1 million from
committee budgets, and a savings of $26.1 million from, collectively,
the Members' office budgets. For those who may not know, the Members'
office budgets are the specific amounts that are given to Members so
that they can carry out their functions as Members of Congress. It
includes the ability to communicate with their constituents, it
includes paying for their staff, it includes paying for their
transportation from their district to Washington, D.C. and back; it
includes the rental on their district offices. In other words, it is
the money that is utilized for Members to carry out their official
activities. These are important jobs that Members are required to do if
in fact we are to represent our people appropriately. Nonetheless, even
though these are important things that we do, we should try to be even
more efficient in the way that we do them. That is the purpose of this
legislation before us.
Mr. Speaker, these are substantial cuts in budgets, in budgets that
frankly cannot continue indefinitely on an upward trajectory. We must
all find ways to do more with less, to enhance our productivity, and to
ferret out waste or inefficiencies wherever they may be. With that
being said, this initial savings is only a down payment on future
efforts. My colleagues and I on House Administration are dedicated to
continuing savings and reductions in spending in other areas as well.
Thus, for fiscal year 2012, we have committed to keeping this 5 percent
reduction in place. We are also directing all House officers, such as
the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms and the Chief Administrative Officer,
to find savings within their own organizations without sacrificing
their services and the excellence they pride themselves on maintaining;
in other words, to do what all Americans are attempting in their own
lives, finding ways to do more with less. We look forward to hearing
from these and other House offices in specificity as to what their
cost-savings plans will be.
As has been said by our Speaker, we have committed to cutting
domestic spending and returning non-security discretionary spending to
2008 levels. If we could live on that level of spending a mere 2 years
ago, surely we can find ways to do so again. Again, American families
are doing it. American businesses are doing it. We must try as well.
Mr. Speaker, listening to the American people and restoring the
proper role of government means decreasing spending, ending our deficit
mentality, and fostering job creation. These are the virtues that have
made this country great and will sustain us in the future.
I want to publicly thank my colleague from Oregon (Mr. Walden) and
his transition team for the efforts that they have put into this
legislation, and I would urge all of my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as a staunch advocate for strong, accountable
stewardship of hard-earned taxpayer dollars, I applaud any effort to
responsibly address this concern. I travel back and forth to my
district every day in the city of Philadelphia, and I spend a large
portion of every day listening to constituents as they voice their
concerns over our economy and the real impact it has on their day-to-
day lives. Certainly this House must take steps to ensure that
resources are effectively utilized, administered and accounted for. To
that end, I support this resolution and encourage my colleagues to do
so as well.
During the 111th Congress, significant steps were taken by the House
leadership to expand transparency and responsible use of taxpayer
dollars. At the direction of Speaker Pelosi, the Committee on House
Administration under my chairmanship worked with the office of the CAO
to introduce the House statement of disbursements in an online,
electronic format. For the first time, constituents, the media and
other concerned individuals could review every penny spent by Members,
committees and leadership offices.
Through the Green the Capitol initiative and with the cooperation of
the Architect of the Capitol, we rolled out enhancements designed to
increase the energy efficiency of the Capitol Complex, resulting in
cost savings.
Under the Democratic majority, we put in place requirements that only
vehicles meeting lower greenhouse emissions standards were eligible for
MRA-funded lease payments. Not only does this have a positive
environmental impact, it also reduces fuel costs, since these vehicles
are generally more fuel efficient.
The cost savings that were introduced were done so responsibly and
with a constant eye on ensuring that Members have the resources they
need also to be able to serve their constituency. That's ultimately the
reason why we are here. I look forward to exploring additional,
responsible cost savings opportunities with Chairman Lungren in the
spirit of bipartisanship cooperation that we have enjoyed for many
years, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1240
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes
to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) who spent an enormous amount
of time beginning immediately after the elections to bring us to this
point.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the House
Administration Committee for his help and assistance as we worked
through the transition. I also want to thank the ranking member the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Andrews) as well who were designated by then-Speaker Pelosi
to be a formal conduit for us on the transition. They were most helpful
and gave us good insights. And I want to thank all the Members who
participated and the staff whom we reached out to in a survey across
this campus to say, How can we do this better? How can we be more
efficient with our time and the taxpayers' money? Where can we cut
costs?
Today is that first installment. There is an old saying that the
journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Ladies and
gentlemen, this is a single step forward, but it is a $35 million first
step. We think we can at least save that in this effort today, and
leadership really starts at the top.
The American people have spoken loudly and clearly. They are very
concerned about the economy and their jobs and their communities and
they are equally and deeply concerned about the deficits that have been
racked up by both parties over time. We have to turn that around, or we
end up looking like some of these countries elsewhere around the globe
that are facing financial ruin if they don't change. We have to change,
too, and we are asking ourselves to take the first step here and save
at least $35 million.
As the gentleman from Pennsylvania has pointed out and the gentleman
from California has pointed out, this is the first installment. Our
management team in this organization is looking at each department on
how they can achieve additional savings. As you know, we have an
Inspector General that looks at everything on Capitol Hill and
identifies ways we can improve safety and security and cut costs and be
more efficient, so we are letting them do their management piece.
Now, I was a small business owner for 22 years with my wife out in
Oregon. I understand that if you don't watch the pennies and the
nickels, you will never get to the dollars. You have to look at
[[Page H64]]
everything you do in real time to try and squeeze out efficiency, and I
think we have done that.
As Republicans, our pledge to America was to do exactly that across
the government, and you will see oversight hearings about policy,
oversight hearings about job-killing regulations because we want to get
America working again. And I know my colleagues on the other side of
the aisle share that view, that it is the private sector jobs that we
have to get restored in this country. We have to grow the economy and
create jobs and put Washington's fiscal house back in order, and we
will take the first steps today with this legislation and this
resolution.
So, specifically, we cut we believe $35 million out of our own
budgets. It is a 5-percent reduction, except, I should point out, the
Appropriations Committee will actually suffer a 9-percent reduction,
and they came forward with that level. I applaud them for that.
This is firm, but flexible. Members will still determine within their
budgets how they are spent. We don't micromanage here. We treat you as
adults, and we are going to treat government agencies as adults. But we
will expect results because the American people spoke clearly in
November and said, we want transparency, we want openness, we want
accountability, we want you to cut deficit spending, and we want you to
create private sector jobs.
So, Mr. Chairman, I think we have begun that process today. I thank
my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for supporting this
bipartisan effort.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I also would like to thank Mr. Walden for
allowing us to participate, myself and Mr. Andrews from New Jersey.
I certainly do not want to get you in any kind of trouble here today,
but we did have some ideas that happened to fall into and come into
implementation of your plan. I know that was just great minds thinking
alike. It wasn't that it was our idea that did that. But I am talking
especially toward the schedule. I do appreciate that. I appreciate you
allowing us to participate in what you have done there and look forward
again to working with you in the future.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. At this time, Mr. Speaker, it is
my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr.
Rogers), the chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, this is a historic time for this Congress, this House
and my committee. I can say without a moment's hesitation that this day
represents a crucial turning point for our Nation as this new Congress
begins a path to fiscal sanity.
With this resolution today, Congress will begin immediately to reduce
spending, starting here and now with our own office budgets and our
committee budgets and the like.
To demonstrate my strong commitment to slashing spending, reducing
our national deficit and getting our economy back on track, I have
directed my own committee budget to be cut not by 5 percent, Mr.
Speaker, but by 9 percent, nearly double the amount of reduction
proposed for other House offices. What the Appropriations Committee is
saying to all other committees is, we see your five; we raise you four.
So we are cutting 9 percent.
This year, the Appropriations Committee will be ground zero for a
wide range of reductions across the Federal Government; and by cutting
our own budget first, Mr. Speaker, we are showing we are willing to
lead by example.
This is a critical time for the Appropriations Committee, as we will
carry out the most expansive reduction of discretionary spending in the
history of this country. Under my watch, the Appropriations Committee
will be an instrument of change, to enforce the will of the American
people.
My Republican colleagues on the committee and I are ready to stand
and fight for the American people and show that we are serious about
our commitment to rein in government spending and control our exploding
deficits. Yet it is important to remember that slashing spending to
save taxpayer dollars and reducing the size of government is a means to
an end. We must always keep our eyes on the ultimate goal--improving
our economy, getting our people back to work and safeguarding the
Nation's financial security for the future.
The one and only mandate that we received from the American people in
November, in my judgment, was to put our economy and jobs first. This
is why people came to the polls and voted for a change in this body,
and this is the duty that we must fulfill.
To this end, it is clear that this Congress cannot let favored, yet
troublesome, programs slip by or allow turf battles to cloud our shared
interest in protecting the taxpayer. Our budget ax will swing wide and
true, and no area of the Federal Government will be immune from our
scrutiny and cuts. Sacred cows are, for all intents and purposes,
extinct.
Mr. Speaker, we have a big job ahead of us. While this resolution is
a small step forward, it is a giant leap to show, in a very personal
and practical way, the commitment we have to reducing spending and
getting our economy back on track. The first drawn blood is ours.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time I
yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw).
Mr. CRENSHAW. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding the time.
I rise in strong support of this resolution. What does it do? You
have heard quite simply that it saves the American taxpayers millions
of dollars. How does it do it? Quite simply, it says we are going to
spend less money in this House.
These are difficult times, and we can't just keep on doing things
like we have always done them. We have got to change things. No more
perks, no more privileges, no more waste. We have a chance with this
resolution to, in the House, look at ourselves in the mirror and say we
are going to lead by example.
{time} 1250
The American people have been making these tough choices all along. I
think it's time that this House put its own house in order. But we have
to remember that actions speak louder than words. Difficult times mean
leaders have to lead. We have a chance to take a bold step to say that
we're going to try to stop this culture of spending that we've all
gotten used to and say, Let's start a culture of savings.
Now, that's not going to be easy. It's going to be hard. It's going
to be painful. It's going to be difficult. It's going to be tough. But
we must do it. And that's where we begin to start. That's what this
resolution does. It says that we're going to take the first step. We're
going to cut our own spending. We're going to do more with less. And I
think right now we can do a whole lot more with a whole lot less. I
know that, you know that, and I think the American people know that.
But we all know that we need money to provide services.
Right now, it seems to me that government needs something more. We
need discipline to rein in spending. We need courage to make the right
decisions, even when they're hard. And we need to seize the challenge
to provide services in these difficult times. We've got to make sure
that every task of government is accomplished more efficiently and more
effectively than it ever has been before, because if life is going to
change in America, life has to change here in Washington. And this is
the first step.
So I urge the adoption of this resolution.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. At this time I would like to
yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Mrs. Roby), a member
of the transition team.
Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, our Nation is on an unsustainable path. Over
the last 2 years, all we have seen from Washington is more spending,
more borrowing, and more debt. The American taxpayer has been burdened
with $3 trillion worth of bailouts and buyouts. Never before has the
government spent so much while the people received so little. One of
the goals of the transition team was to restore fiscal responsibility
to Congress. And I would like to thank the gentleman from Oregon (Mr.
Walden) for his leadership on that transition team.
[[Page H65]]
Working families all across America have been forced to tighten their
belts during this economic downturn. The Congress should be no
different. Our proposal would cut Members' representational allowances
by 5 percent. It will save the American taxpayer at least $35 million
annually over the next year.
No one is suggesting that this is a silver bullet. In fact, it is far
from it. Reducing our soaring debt will require this Congress to deeply
commit to the tough choices that will be required to put our Nation
back on track. But, in many ways, our budget woes began in this
Chamber. And so, too, should they end. This resolution is a symbolic
start to this process.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I
would yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).
Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. On the campaign trail for the last
several months we've heard two things from people. We've heard: cut
spending, cut spending, cut spending. And the other thing we heard
consistently was: live by the decisions that you make in Congress.
Well, today we have a great opportunity before us. We have an
opportunity to do both--to start cutting spending--$35 million-plus in
spending cuts--starting with us. It means that we start first and
foremost by living with the decisions that we make. A 5-percent
deduction in our MRAs gives us an opportunity to not spend the money so
that other folks in families and small businesses have an opportunity
when not paying taxes to invest more money in the future of their
country and their families.
Second, as we consistently live under our own decisions, we tell the
American people that we are simply ``listening.'' I heard constantly
that the American people want a Congress that listens; that hears what
they're saying; that understands their pain and then does something
about it. The first step in that direction is for us to start living
within our own means and to tell the American people that we hear them.
If we want to restore the confidence of the American people in their
elected officials, we must start by doing things like this--cutting
ourselves first and asking the rest of the government to follow.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time it is
my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr.
Gardner), a member of the transition team.
Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentleman from California.
Mr. Speaker, today I am glad to support a resolution that puts away
the knives of politics and instead pulls out the shears of budget
cutting. Thank you to Representative Walden for your work on the
transition committee to again restore accountability and transparency
by leading by example in one of the most historic institutions this
world has ever witnessed.
Throughout my time in the State legislature of Colorado and
throughout the past several months I have talked to constituents around
the Fourth Congressional District of Colorado about the need to lead by
example--the need to start in our own backyard first to cut our budgets
to make sure that we are leading by example. Just a couple of rows from
here in this Chamber when we took the oath, my 7-year-old daughter
accompanied me to witness the transition of power. But that means
nothing if we cannot lead by example. And I will have failed her as a
7-year-old child, and every child like her, if we do not lead by
example--and we start today by cutting our own budgets.
The 5 percent cut to our budget is not massive, but it is monumental.
And it's something that we must all take seriously, our efforts to
begin leading the American people. Around this country, citizens of the
United States are looking to Congress for signs of hope--signs of hope
that we have learned a lesson that this Congress has spent too much,
grown too much, and that we will put our own house in order.
Mr. Speaker, today I have the honor of standing in support of a
resolution that says to the American people we will indeed lead by
example. We will begin in our house first.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time it
gives me a great deal of pleasure to yield 1 minute to the majority
leader of the House of Representatives, the distinguished gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).
Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman from California.
Mr. Speaker, our new majority will be a results-driven Congress with
one clear goal: to create jobs and generate economic growth. Our
defining principle will be ``cut-and-grow.'' Cut spending and job-
killing regulations and grow jobs and the economy.
Our mission is urgent. For the economy to grow, families, businesses,
and financial markets need to know that we are serious about cutting
spending. If we don't act, the threat of future tax increases,
inflation, and higher borrowing costs will continue to serve as an
anchor on the economy.
Beginning the new Republican majority by cutting our own
congressional operating budgets sends the right message. The days of
families and small businesses tightening their belts while the Federal
Government goes on a spending spree are over. This self-imposed 5-
percent cut to our own House operating budgets will save American
taxpayers more than $35 million immediately. I hope that Federal
agencies across the spectrum will follow suit and find ways to cut
their own budgets.
This legislation is a small, but significant, step toward promoting a
culture of opportunity, responsibility, and success. I urge my
colleagues to support it.
{time} 1300
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I
would like to yield 3 minutes to another gentleman who served us well
on the transition team, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger).
Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong
support of House Resolution 22. In fact, it is an honor to give my
first speech in the House of Representatives on this issue.
When I went around in the campaign, I heard from the people of the
11th District of Illinois repeatedly about a number of things, but at
the forefront, it was ``cut spending.'' We have a massive deficit. We
have lived the last few years acting like we can just spend money and
never worry about it; but we saw a massive change in the last few
months, and it is time for us to heed that message. How better to do it
than to lead by example?
As well as hearing about our needing to cut spending, I heard about
humility a lot and about a majority that needs to lead with a sense of
humbleness. I think this is key, to lead by example, but we need to
wrestle the beast of spending. I don't have kids yet, but someday I
will, and when I do, I don't want to live with the responsibility that
I continue to shovel debt and debt on top of them and make them have to
handle that now.
As a member of the military--and I've been doing that for 8 years--I
also understand what sacrifice is, and I understand that folks have
been fighting on the outside for the defense of our country. It is time
for us now to fight on the inside for the defense of our country. $35
million isn't going to solve all of our budget problems, but it's a
good first step. This is the first step in a probably very painful
process where we have to understand and wrestle with this beast and
where everybody is going to have to sacrifice, but it is the first step
and a very necessary step to ensure that we are leaving our children a
Union, a country, far better than the one we inherited.
So to the people of the 11th District of Illinois and to the people
of America, let me say the freshman class and the Republican majority
have heard your voice. We heard what you said on November 2. We are
going to seriously cut spending, and we are going to start with our own
budget. We are proud to do it, and we are going to step forward and
lead and make you proud.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to address this issue.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. At this time, I would like to
yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper), a
member of the House Administration Committee.
Mr. HARPER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding.
[[Page H66]]
Mr. Speaker, I am eager to enact the Republican governing agenda that
focuses on creating jobs, driving down spending and shrinking the size
of the Federal Government.
Republicans will take swift action to turn America from the failed
economic policies of the last 2 years to the conservative principles to
promote prosperity through individual freedoms and liberties. Our plan
includes initiatives to pay down the national debt and put the Federal
Government back on a path to a balanced budget. This goal can be
achieved by employing fiscally conservative policies--just like this.
Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government is broke, borrowing 41 cents of
every dollar that we spend. Nearly one in 10 American workers is
unemployed while the Federal Government has added 100,000 new jobs.
Washington continues to record trillion dollar deficits despite the
fact that family budgets get smaller and smaller. The government cannot
continue to grow while Americans' wallets shrink.
As lawmakers, we must lead by example. For this past Congress, my
first term, my congressional office has come in under budget,
voluntarily returning approximately 10 percent of the Members'
representational allowance. This gesture has not impacted the quality
of our representation and our constituent services. During this time
period, my office has replied to over 37,000 emails and letters and has
connected with nearly 82,000 constituents via teleconference.
I urge Congress to follow this example by providing taxpayers with a
fiscally responsible operating budget. Our path to a balanced budget
begins today, and it begins with this vote.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is
my privilege to yield 3 minutes a new member of our House
Administration Committee but a veteran of this House, the gentleman
from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank
Mr. Lungren. I thank Mr. Brady. I thank Mr. Walden and the members of
the transition team, many of whom have spoken on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, clearly, it is time for us--we Members of Congress of
the House of Representatives--with House Resolution 22, to show good
faith and regard to tightening our belts. It has been said by other
Members that cutting the Members' representational allowance is kind of
routine for a lot of the Members.
I know that, this past year, I returned something like $160,000 of
the MRA to the Treasury and, over the course of my 8 years in Congress,
in the aggregate, some $900,000. Quite honestly, that is more than a 5
percent cut. So it can be done, and many Members have done that as
well.
We have concerns, of course, as to where that money goes to. Does it
go to truly reducing the deficit and long-term debt?
I will be introducing, Mr. Speaker, legislation later on today that
by law requires that that money that is turned back in goes back to the
taxpayer. Yet this piece of legislation, House Resolution 22, is
something that I think will have wide, if not unanimous, bipartisan
support.
As I say, the former chairman of this committee, Mr. Brady, now the
ranking member of the current chairman's committee, my good friend Dan
Lungren from California, is of the same mind in regard to fiscal
responsibility and doing what is right for the American people.
On November 2, they were telling us, Look, we are sick and tired of
you guys who just keep throwing money at things, like the $1 trillion
cost of the stimulus bill and another $1 trillion for the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act. Some people recognize that better
as ObamaCare. But, you know, when you've got $1.4 trillion worth of
deficit for 2 or 3 years in a row, no wonder you add $5 trillion to the
long-term debt, and you get up to something like $14 trillion.
So, Mr. Speaker, at a time when there is a 9.8 percent unemployment
rate and when families across the country are forced to tighten their
belts, I wholeheartedly believe that Congress should lead by example.
That is what we are doing with this bill.
I appreciate my colleagues giving me time to weigh in on this. I
fully support it, and I look forward to being a member of the
committee.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I
would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs.
Miller), who has done great work in the past about the operations of
this House.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, we have a spending problem here in the Congress of the
United States. We know it. All the Members here know it, and certainly
the American people know it as well. Over the past few years, we have
run deficits of over $1 trillion each year, and we have driven our
national debt to over $14 trillion.
On November 2, 2010, the American people spoke out in a very loud and
clear voice: Stop the reckless spending. The Republican majority
elected on November 2 heard the call of the American people, and we
will start the spending cuts today by cutting our own budgets by 5
percent.
You know, since my election to Congress, I have always tried to be a
good steward of the money that is appropriated to my budget to serve my
constituents. In the last Congress, I returned, actually, about 11
percent of the money that was allotted. In 2009, I returned nearly 8
percent to the Treasury, and in 2010, I expect that return to be almost
14 percent. I am sure that many Members can make similar claims here.
A cut of 5 percent for Members, for leadership offices, and for
committees is a very important first step in getting our spending under
control. Some may say that 5 percent doesn't cut nearly enough, but
certainly, it is a welcomed change, and we are going in the right
direction rather than in the wrong direction of increasing these
Members' allowances that we have seen for too many years.
If we cannot cut our own budgets, how can the American people expect
us to start cutting spending?
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in sending this important
message to the American people that we are very serious about cutting
spending. We get it. We heard what the American people said in this
last election, and we are starting here, right now, with ourselves.
{time} 1310
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I would make an
inquiry as to whether the gentleman has further requests for time.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I don't think so, no.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. If the gentleman is going to
yield back the balance of his time after his statement, I will do the
same on this side.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman, my friend from the
great State of Pennsylvania, who has worked on a bipartisan basis, most
of the time, and what I mean by that is about 85 percent or 90 percent
of the work we do on our committee has to do with making this place
work, helping Members do the job that they were elected to do to
represent their constituents, and making sure this institution of the
House of Representatives works. There is a sense of a pride of the
institution that I think marks our committee, and we try in a very real
way to work, both on the Democratic and Republican sides, to ensure the
productivity of the membership here and to ensure that, frankly, the
people get their money's worth.
About 10 or 15 percent of what we have to do has to do with election
law, and I might say that that's not always as obviously bipartisan,
but we've always done it in the spirit of civility and always done it
in the spirit of respect for one another, and for that, I would like to
thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. Speaker, this is an important vote. In comparison to a trillion-
dollar budget and trillion-dollar deficit people
[[Page H67]]
might say this is a small amount. It is not a small amount. It is a
serious 5 percent cut with respect to the operations of this House in
very, very significant ways. It is a down payment on the future actions
of this House with respect to other operations of the House, but as we
scan across the entire Federal Government, this marks the down payment
on that new vision.
So I would once again like to thank the Congressman from Oregon (Mr.
Walden).
I have just discovered that I do have another speaker here, and with
the indulgence of my friend on the other side, I would like to yield 3
minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Walsh).
Mr. WALSH of Illinois. I apologize. I snuck up on you there.
I rise today to support H. Res. 22 in the House. We were elected this
past fall to do what we said we were going to do: To lead by example
when it comes to spending and tightening our own belts. Following
through on this key pledge that we made in the Pledge to America I
think is vital. We're taking the first step before we ask others to
tighten their own belts, and it's important to understand this is a
first step, hopefully, in an ongoing effort to continue to cut costs.
This will impact each and every one of us, and I think it's very
important to the American people that they see we are talking the talk
and walking the walk.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong opposition to the
House Resolution 22, which would cut Congress's budget by five percent
in 2011 and 2012. The proposed cut undermines Members of Congress's
ability to serve their constituents and perform official duties.
Today, many communities around the Nation are recovering from the
Great Recession. Members' offices are flooded with phone calls from
constituents who are facing foreclosure and having problems with their
Social Security and Medicare. Furthermore, millions are looking toward
Members of Congress for information on government programs, help on
constituent casework, finding contracting opportunities with the
federal government, and how to apply for federal grants. Lastly, it is
imperative constituents can voice their opinion on proposed legislation
to our staff. Today's draconian attempt to reduce Members of Congress's
budget would hamper their ability to fulfill these essential tasks for
our fellow Americans.
At a time of economic crisis, a well functioning democracy cannot
survive the ``starve the beast'' syndrome. Specifically, Congress needs
talented staff to properly and judiciously advise Members on proposed
legislation and help communicate our work to our constituents. A recent
article in Politico found that the majority of congressional staff has
not had an effective pay increase in many years. If we go down this
road, eventually we will not be adequately staffed to fulfill the
critical needs for Members.
The resolution today extends the failed mantra that government is the
problem. In the run up to the Great Recession, many important federal
regulatory agencies were severely underfunded and could not carry out
their vital missions. The House of Representatives needs to reflect on
this lesson and reject this failed right wing philosophy. I urge my
colleagues to oppose today's proposal.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today I voted for H. Res. 22, to cut the
House operating budget by 5%. It is important for the government to
lead by example, especially during these tough economic times.
I would hope that having demonstrated that even the legislature
itself is not exempt from budget cuts, that the Republican leadership
would reconsider its decision to declare off limits major areas of
government spending and savings.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act would be inconsistent with these
efforts to reduce costs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office
said that repealing health care would cost the American taxpayers $240
billion over the next 10 years. This is in addition to raising the
average cost of health care for most Americans and leaving 32 million
uninsured, and is something our economy cannot afford.
This is especially important when looking at defense spending. The
Pentagon budget, growing at a rate far above inflation, is also the
source of the greatest waste and inefficiency. GAO studies have
documented tens of billions of dollars of waste, inefficiency, and in
some cases, money that can't be accounted for at all.
Even the Pentagon itself is making commitments for budget reduction
and efficiency. Just today, Secretary Gates reached out to members of
Congress to outline how he intends to trim $100 billion from within the
Pentagon over the next five years. I hope these conversations don't
fall on deaf ears.
Every part of the budget deserves careful attention. I'm pleased that
we're starting with the legislative budget; I hope it will serve as a
symbol that no part of the budget should be off limits, making the
Defense Department the next source of inquiry, and not the last.
I look forward to working with all members, on both sides of the
aisle, to help the government lead by example, improve efficiency and
improve our fiscal standing.
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this
resolution to Cut Congress's Budget. The American people are hurting
and they deserve responsible leadership. This legislation, however, is
an effort to deceive the American people into thinking that this new
Congress is making a real effort to reduce the deficit. In fact this
Congress is on a path to grow the deficit even further without
providing any help to the American people.
As families cut their budgets to get their fiscal house in order,
Congress should do the same. I have returned $109,000 to the Treasury
since I took office and will take further efforts this year to save
taxpayer money. That is why I am confident that a five percent
reduction in the budget for Congress will be manageable for Members and
staff and good for the United States.
I understand why this bill is on the floor today and I support this
bill. Unfortunately, it is a symbolic and purely political gesture.
This majority recently passed rules that will exempt tax cuts from
complying with the PayGo rule, guaranteeing a ballooning of the
government's debt. In addition, they repeal a rule that prohibits
reconciliation bills from increasing the deficit, further paving the
way for tax cuts, regardless of the impact on the deficit. The
hypocrisy continues with an exception for the cost of repealing health
reform. In fact, repealing health reform explodes the federal deficit
by $230 billion over the next ten years and $1 trillion over the next
two decades, while stripping Americans of important benefits. It's pure
hypocrisy to add $1 trillion to the deficit, and then tell the American
people we are doing something about the deficit by cutting our own
budgets by 5%.
I would remind the new majority that PayGo rules in the 1990s led to
enormous budget surpluses. It was the Republican controlled Congress
that repealed the PayGo rules allowing Republicans and President Bush
to cut taxes and engage in two wars without concern for the deficit. We
are paying for their mistakes today and we will be paying for them for
generations. I regret that today's Republican majority appears to be
the same as the old.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill and then to fight for real
fiscal responsibility that puts the middle class first.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.
Res. 22, a resolution that will reduce House budgets by 5% across the
board for the 112th Congress. I commend the author of this
legislation--my colleague from the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr.
Walden--for his leadership on this resolution and for the work he has
done over the past few months in leading the Republican transition
efforts.
On November 2, 2010, the American people spoke very clearly at the
ballot box to stop the out-of-control spending here in Washington. They
were rightfully tired of the $1 trillion so-called ``Stimulus'' bill
and the $1 trillion ObamaCare bill.
As you know, Mr. Speaker, these bills are largely to blame for $1.4
trillion deficit for Fiscal Year 2010 that has ballooned our national
debt to $14 trillion.
Mr. Speaker, at a time when there is 9.8% unemployment and families
across the country are forced to tighten their belts, I wholeheartedly
believe that Congress should lead by example.
H. Res. 22 provides for a 5% reduction for each Member's MRA, which
I--as a new Member of the House Administration Committee--believe is a
good starting point for us to rein in federal spending.
I know that some of my colleagues across the aisle will criticize
this proposal for being an act of political theater or not going far
enough, so I would ask them a simple question. If--as Members of
Congress--we cannot support proposals to cut our own budgets, then how
can the American people trust us to make much more difficult budget
decisions down the road to reduce our massive debt?
Mr. Speaker, as families across the country continue to struggle
financially, it is imperative that we show fiscal restraint, and there
is no better place to start than here in the halls of Congress.
I ask all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 22.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution before
the House today to reduce the budgets for Members' offices as well as
leadership and committee offices in the House of Representatives.
At a time when so many of our constituents are struggling to make
ends meet in a difficult
[[Page H68]]
economy, and with the federal deficit as high as it is, the House and
Senate must keep looking for ways to tighten our belts. During the last
Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, we voted to freeze
the salaries of Members of Congress in 2010 and again for 2011. The
resolution before the House today would save an additional $35 million.
While this resolution saves $35 million, the Republican leadership
will be bringing a health care reform repeal bill to the Floor next
week that will blow a one trillion dollar hole in the budget. Not only
would the Republican repeal bill turn back the clock on the significant
reforms and consumer protections and jeopardize health care for
millions of Americans, their repeal bill would also add $230 billion to
the deficit over the next 10 years, and a jaw-dropping $1 trillion of
red ink over 20 years. These are not my figures, but those of the non-
partisan Congressional Budget Office.
In a word, if cutting $35 million from Congress' budget is a step in
the right direction towards reducing the deficit, adding $1 trillion to
the deficit by repealing health care reform takes us about 28,570 steps
in the wrong direction.
I urge support for the resolution before the House today and strong
opposition to the Republican health care repeal bill next week.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members
to support this resolution. Let's make it a bipartisan effort. Let's
show that we have the commitment of the membership here towards
responding to the reality of our times.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Thornberry). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren)
that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res.
22.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand
the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 408,
nays 13, not voting 11, as follows:
=========================== NOTE ===========================
January 6, 2011 on Page H68, the following appeared: device, and
there were--yeas 410, nays 13, not voting 11, as follows: [Roll
No. 8] YEAS--410 Fitzpatrick Sessions
The online version should be corrected to read: device, and
there were--yeas 408, nays 13, not voting 11, as follows: [Roll
No. 8] YEAS--408 Fitzpatrick and Sessions were deleted from vote
tally RC 8
[Roll No. 8]
YEAS--408
Adams
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Altmire
Amash
Andrews
Austria
Baca
Bachmann
Bachus
Baldwin
Barletta
Barrow
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Bass (CA)
Bass (NH)
Becerra
Benishek
Berg
Berkley
Berman
Biggert
Bilbray
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boren
Boswell
Boustany
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Brooks
Broun (GA)
Brown (FL)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Buerkle
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Canseco
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carson (IN)
Carter
Cassidy
Castor (FL)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Chandler
Chu
Cicilline
Clarke (MI)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Cohen
Cole
Conaway
Connolly (VA)
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Cravaack
Crawford
Crenshaw
Critz
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (KY)
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
Denham
Dent
DesJarlais
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Dold
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Dreier
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Edwards
Ellmers
Emerson
Engel
Eshoo
Farenthold
Farr
Fattah
Fincher
Flake
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Frank (MA)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gallegly
Garamendi
Gardner
Garrett
Gibbs
Gibson
Giffords
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Gonzalez
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffin (AR)
Griffith (VA)
Grijalva
Grimm
Guinta
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hall
Hanabusa
Hanna
Harman
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayworth
Heck
Heinrich
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Holden
Holt
Hoyer
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Inslee
Israel
Issa
Jackson Lee (TX)
Jenkins
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly
Kildee
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kissell
Kline
Kucinich
Labrador
Lamborn
Lance
Landry
Langevin
Lankford
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lee (NY)
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Long
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Maloney
Manzullo
Marchant
Marino
Markey
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (CA)
McCarthy (NY)
McCaul
McClintock
McCollum
McCotter
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Meehan
Meeks
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Moore
Mulvaney
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (PA)
Myrick
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Nunnelee
Olson
Olver
Owens
Palazzo
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Paulsen
Pearce
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Petri
Pingree (ME)
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Polis
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Price (NC)
Quayle
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reed
Rehberg
Reichert
Renacci
Reyes
Ribble
Richardson
Richmond
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross (AR)
Ross (FL)
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schiff
Schilling
Schmidt
Schock
Schrader
Schwartz
Schweikert
Scott (SC)
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sewell
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Southerland
Speier
Stearns
Stivers
Stutzman
Sullivan
Sutton
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tierney
Tipton
Tonko
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walberg
Walden
Walsh (IL)
Walz (MN)
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watt
Webster
Weiner
Welch
West
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Wu
Yarmuth
Yoder
Young (FL)
Young (IN)
NAYS--13
Ackerman
Clarke (NY)
Conyers
Ellison
Filner
Honda
Jackson (IL)
Lee (CA)
Moran
Payne
Schakowsky
Towns
Woolsey
NOT VOTING--11
Bilirakis
Gerlach
Lynch
Paul
Pence
Rivera
Runyan
Smith (NE)
Stark
Waxman
Young (AK)
{time} 1339
Messrs. ELLISON, MORAN and HONDA changed their vote from ``yea'' to
``nay.''
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida and Mr. MEEKS changed their vote from
``nay'' to ``yea.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and
the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. RIVERA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 8 I was unavoidably delayed.
Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''
Mr. RUNYAN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 8 I was unavoidably
detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''
Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 8 due to a bell malfunction
in my office, I was unable to get to the floor to vote. Had I been in
attendance, I would have voted ``aye.''
____________________