[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 116 (Friday, July 29, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1440-E1442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS' COMMENTS ON WHAT A BI-PARTISAN COMPROMISE TO THE 
               DEBT CEILING IMPASSE WOULD BE LIKE TO THEM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2011

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, President Obama has 
urged the American people to call, email and tweet their members of 
Congress to let them know they want a bi-partisan compromise solution 
to the dangerous impasse over the debt ceiling that the Republican 
leadership has engineered. I used my Facebook page to ask my 
constituents and others who follow my page what a bi-partisan 
compromise would look like to them.
  I wanted to share with my colleagues the responses I have received so 
far. As you can see, the answers are very thoughtful. And the majority, 
not all, but clearly the majority, of responses are in favor of a 
balanced approach, one that combines new tax revenues with serious 
spending cuts. That's the approach I personally favor and that 
President Obama and congressional Democrats have been trying to 
achieve. Regrettably, we have been met with a stone wall of opposition 
from the Republican Congress to a balanced compromise. They are pushing 
for a short-term bill that would make seniors, children, and the middle 
class pay the burden of our fiscal problems, and that would force us to 
have this reckless and damaging debate again just months from now.
  I want to thank the people who took the time to share their views on 
my page and I encourage all Americans to continue to make their views 
known to the Congress about this important issue.
  I hope my colleagues find these comments, from people who follow me 
on Facebook, informative.

[[Page E1441]]

  Kay: ``come now, let us reason together'' Praying for reasoning and 
that people will realize what they are doing. We must live in the 
solution--we know what the problem is. I'm glad you're there, George 
Miller!
  Brian: I think you know what needs to be done. I hope your colleagues 
do too.
  Sue: The right won't compromise and the President has already given 
away far too much. He needs to take a stand for the American people and 
sign an executive order invoking the 14th Amendment.
  Felix: Well, what do we hold that they want? Settle on the debt in 
exchange for, say, national CCW reciprocity?
  KeKe: I'm concerned with the health bill as well as curving the 
expenses for colleges and bringing jobs into our states!
  Gayle: Bipartisan compromise would look like the Congress has finally 
restored some semblance of sanity to the process of government. It 
would include finally taxing corporations and the rich as they should 
be taxed, and it would NOT include cutting Social Security programs and 
other services to the elderly and most at-risk populations. Is that too 
much to ask? I think not . . .
  Gail: Very unwillingly I opt for a `compromise' but NOT touching 
either social security or Medicare.. .and, in addition, pushing for 
closing those tax loop holes for the rich. It amazes me how little 
conscience the Republicans (both moderate and TPers) have with regard 
to a patriotic generosity towards those who have less . . .
  Pamela: First of all, social security, etc., are NOT entitlements. 
We've paid in to them. We're not asking for a hand out, we want the 
money we put into the system. Stop them treating us like children 
looking for a handout. And I don't see why the President has to be so 
PC about how we got into this! Lay it right at Bush's doorstep.
  Nick: It would close the tax loopholes for corporations and the 
wealthy, it would reform the tax code to a graduated flat tax, would 
end the income caps on SSI, and would modify Medicare by extending the 
age of eligibility to 67, adding small ($20) co-pays for medical 
services, and would extend the debt limit until 2014.
  Nick: It would also close any and all tax benefits that U.S. 
Corporations receive by using overseas labor.
  Anne: Quite honestly I think we need to reverse Bushs tax cuts and 
get out of three wars as quickly as possible.
  Daniel: The President should use the 14th Amendment option and stop 
trying to exploit this ``debate'' for an opening to cut the social 
safety net. Anyone who votes for a bill--and both the Reid and Boehner 
plans have these things in them--that puts huge spending cuts in place 
during the longest unemployment crisis since the Great Depression is 
not getting my money, time, or vote in 2012. Anyone who votes for a 
bill that contains provisions for a ``super congress'' panel that 
could, say, force through massive spending cuts to SS, Medicare, or 
Medicaid too quickly for the public to notice is not getting my money, 
time, or vote in 2012. Any Democrat who attacks the New Deal or Great 
Society policy template in any way is not getting my money, time, or 
vote in 2012. Ideals and principles matter. People who think so aren't 
``sanctimonious,'' they think what we say and do matters.
  Karen: Tax the rich. Close the loopholes. Mega-corps & financiers 
need to pay their fair share. Reinvest in the United Stated and their 
people. Or they will not reinvest their trust in a Congress that has 
forgotten `by the People, of the People, for the People. Tell them they 
are close to committing treason, against the true government of these 
United States: We the People. We will not be distracted or forget this 
time. We are awake & We expect Action!
  Pamela: There is no compromise at this time. Nor should there be. The 
full faith and credit of the US should not be held hostage to the 
budget. Simply raise the debt ceiling and then consider the budget as a 
separate issue . . . which it is. And THEN eliminate the Bush tax cuts.
  Clark: As in the past, a REAL compromise would be a clean debt limit 
bill, and then the parties can slog it out over the deficit reduction 
later. The biggest help would be putting most of the unemployed and 
underemployed back to work, that will whittle down the problem nicely!
  Robert: Cut enough to get the deal done . . . there is plenty that 
could be reduced in our bloated budget. Deal with tax overhauls 
separately, you don't have enough time to broadly revamp that end of 
the business in a few days. The Pres needs to drop his politically 
motivated insistence that the ceiling is raised high enough to avoid 
dealing with this again until after the election. And would someone 
please read the 14th Amendment and set clear there is nothing to 
invoke? It is sad to hear ``CNN sound bite'' educated numbskulls 
calling for something they have never read and have no context about 
how it originally came to be, or what it was trying to address (Civil 
War era history is apparently not a deeply taught subject in this 
country . . .). GET 'ER DONE George!
  Ulrich: Stop the WARs!
  Nic: Social Security should be self-sustaining and not redistribute 
wealth. The average American should recieve benefits equal to their 
inflation adjusted contributions, regardless of income. Same with 
Medicare. The tax code should be simplified. Annual budgets should not 
run deficits. And don't raise taxes--cut non-essencial services. That's 
it.
  Ted: Save money and lives get out of the wars now!! I don't 
understand the Republicans, they won a huge victory in this debate, no 
new taxes, no shared responsibility. The Tea party Republicans, are 
making a mess of this. The President has been very reasonable and 
willing to comromise. I hope he will use the 14th amendment, section 4 
to save our economy and raise the debt c. That's my opinion!!
  Maureen: The President is trying to deal with people who do not know 
or respect the meaning of the word ``compromise.'' For the moment, use 
the 14th Amendment option. For the long term, raise upper income tax 
rates, close corporate tax loopholes, decrease defense budget (reduce 
our overseas presence and military ops). Social Security (insurance, 
not entitlement!) is not a part of this equation, but what is the big 
deal about simply raising the ceiling on the FICA-taxable compensation?
  Tyson: It's obvious we have a revenue problem as well as a spending 
problem. Put out a message and scream it louder than the GOP. You have 
the facts to back it up.
  Toni: A bi-partisan compromise. Raise taxes on the wealthiest. Cut 
what we have to, a bit from everywhere, raise the debt ceiling as there 
is no alternative apparently. How about for a year rather than six 
months or two years? In other words, give for the greater good.
  Rick: It's time for the Democrats to show some courage in this . . . 
time for a compromise and to ignore the fundamentalist purity of the 
freshman Republicans.
  Lori: I'm tired of the rhetoric. The solution is: A one page bill 
that will increase the debt limit. Then . . . a bi-partisan committee 
to review where Government waste is. I'm sick of the lobbying of the 
special interests that pay into the superpacs for their agendas. The 
people understand this and are tired of being condescended to. No 
elected representative . . . should be enticed with money and perks for 
their own purposes. George . . . I have LOTS of ideas . . . and you 
have probably received them all. Sorry you're not my Congressman 
anymore.
  Dave: The president has already given away TOO MUCH, in the name of 
bi-partisanship! Any and all giveaways end up as bigger tax breaks for 
Republicans' Corporate friends anyway. Enough with ``compromising!'' 
Invoke the 14th and be done with it!
  James: A bipartisan compromise on the debt ceiling would be a simple 
increase in it WITHOUT ANY STRINGS ATTACHED, just like the nearly 
trillion dollar bailout of the financial system in October of 2008!
  Tom: Simplifying the tax code by eliminating some tax breaks might be 
good for the country. That might be part of a bill that both parties 
could accept. You're not really raising taxes that way, in some sense. 
Another problem is that large corporations that own a lot of land that 
they can sit on for a century are getting a free ride on some property 
taxes, due to assessed values lagging behind inflation, which is 
unsustainable in the long run. Cutting foreign aid when it isn't really 
in American interests might help reduce spending a little. We really 
don't get much appreciation from foreigners for all the help we give 
them, instead they seem to resent us. Probably we should disentangle 
ourselves from involvement in foreign affairs to some extent.
  Keynes should be read in the original, it's perfectly clear from his 
books that government needs to be lender of last resort in an economic 
crisis, which he proved in the 1930s. There is some value in the 
Austrian school of economics, but their doctrines can lead to disaster, 
as proved by the Hoover policies that led to the Great Depression in 
the 1930s. Keynes showed the way out of that mess. Government spending 
on American infrastructure is absolutely necessary to get us out of the 
current crisis, even if we have to borrow money to do it.
  Carol: A clean Debt Ceiling increase. A one pager.
  Cathy: Compromise is what statesmen and stateswomen do! We must move 
forward with balanced cuts and revenue building that does not stop job 
growth or hurt the poor, elderly, our youth or our vets . . . it must 
be modest over decades--this is what makes sense. Close the IRS 
loopholes, cut waste, reform entitlements so they are healthy--these 
things can not be done overnight--there is no silver bullet--we must be 
adults and rebuild our economy intelligently and calmly.
  Bonnie: I trust that you will represent us well on this issue! I'm so 
worried for those in our country who have the weakest voice.

[[Page E1442]]

  Mike: Clean debt ceiling bill. Negotiate the rest in appropriations 
with an eye toward balancing cuts and revenue increases. No raising 
eligibility requirements. No benefit reductions. Means testing, 
possibly. Perhaps raise SS cap beyond $106,000 . . . .
  Jean: Perhaps it would simply raise the debt ceiling, as has been 
done so many times in the past, without including the other crap that 
the Tea Party idiots are so against. Then work on THAT compromise, 
which will cut spending AND raise taxes . . . especially on the rich to 
add to their fair share. Or is that too easy?
  Deborah: after the reports of multi billion dollar profits from big 
oil this week it is time to share with the government across the board 
. . . The timing of these earnings is not exactly ideal for the 
Republicans in Congress.
  Debbie: What is the big deal on the debt ceiling, really? Why can't 
it be taken care of as it has been in the past? Yes, I know we are 
swimming in debt and yes, I know it has to be reined in, but please, 
please, please not on the backs of our elderly citizens. Does no one in 
the Tea Party have a mother or father who have social security and 
medicare as their only source of income and health care? I find the Tea 
Party's newly elected House members to be arrogant, self-serving and 
short-sighted. Also, is every wealthy American a job producer? The 
Republican party seems to think so, because to hear them tell it, 
raising taxes on the wealthy will limit job growth; there are so many 
loopholes for the wealthy, that they pay only a fraction of their 
assessed taxes as it is. Washington is broken and seems beyond fixing, 
short of ditching everybody up there and starting over again, and I 
know that's not a fix either.
  Jane: There are not enough taxes that could possibly be collected to 
pay off our debt! Just stop the spending! Obama is running this country 
into the ground! Wake up people unless you like the idea of losing 
everything. Not hard to figure out.
  Stacey: A bipartisan balanced budget would: (1) pass a clean increase 
to the debt ceiling (NO riders or deals attached). (2) Increase in 
revenues by increasing the tax brackets to pre-Reagan levels. OR by 
making a 9% flat tax for all Americans, no deductions. (3) Reduce 
spending by scaling back on foreign wars. (4) Reducing Washington 
waste, Senators and Representatives pay own way after leaving office 
like ordinary citizens (they'll collect SS and Medicare too. (5) Keep 
Social Security and Medicare intact, stop Gov't from borrowing from 
these programs. The Gov't MUST REPAY, all monies borrowed from SS since 
Reagan's tenure. (6) Stop subsidizing Big Oil or other conglomerates. 
(7) Follow California's lead and Congress and Senate does not get paid 
unless a balanced budget is passed into law by June 30th. Otherwise 
they work for free until the job is done. No back pay if budget passed 
after June 30th.

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