[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 8, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             BUDGET OR BUST

  (Mr. BROUN of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my 
colleagues to support a bill that I recently introduced, H.R. 3883, the 
Budget or Bust Act. My legislation would force the House and the Senate 
to pass a budget or else their salaries would be held hostage until 
they do.
  It has been 1,015 days since the Senate last passed a budget. That is 
1,015 days that Congress has shirked one of its most basic 
responsibilities, and they shouldn't be getting paid for their 
irresponsibility.
  Next week, we'll see the President roll out his budget for 2013, 
which is not part of his constitutional job description. The Budget or 
Bust Act would restore the power of the purse to its rightful owner, 
which the Founding Fathers specifically gave to Congress, not to the 
President. Congress should be deciding how to spend taxpayer dollars, 
and the President should simply be implementing the budget and policy 
that Congress puts forward.
  I urge my colleagues to support my Budget or Bust Act so that 
Washington is finally forced to pass a budget and live within its means 
like the rest of America does.

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