[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 123 (Thursday, September 13, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 H.J. RES. 117--THE CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013 
      AND H.R. 6365--THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND JOB PROTECTION ACT

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                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 13, 2012

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in great frustration. It is a 
sad state of affairs when one of the few bipartisan achievements of 
this Congress is to delay major federal spending decisions for another 
six months. I will reluctantly support H.J. Res. 117, the Continuing 
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013, so funding for the government 
can continue, but I want to be clear that this is no way to run the 
country. We need to return to regular order and consider each of the 12 
appropriations bills individually and in their entirety. A failure to 
do so is an abdication of the duty of Congress as enumerated by our 
most sacred document, the Constitution.
  I oppose the next bill, H.R. 6365, which has an interesting name. In 
reality, it is nothing more than a disingenuous attempt to back out of 
the bipartisan deal struck last year in the Budget Control Act (BCA). 
We all agree that sequestration should be avoided, but it should be 
done within the framework of the BCA, instead of bypassing the deal to 
which we all agreed. I have long said everything should be on the table 
as we seek to reduce our deficit. I believe a balanced approach for 
doing so is the only legitimate way forward. H.R. 6365 abandons this 
approach by implementing deeper cuts in domestic programs so as to 
increase defense spending, and avoiding sequestration entirely. This is 
a cynical attempt at balancing our Nation's books. It does not ask the 
wealthiest among us to contribute a penny more to our country's needs. 
We must be fighting for the middle class and making smart, targeted 
investments to grow our economy and to create jobs, not needlessly 
slashing important domestic programs to protect millionaires and 
billionaires.
  Congress has little time remaining to prevent sequestration from 
going into effect. I call on all members to come together and help find 
a serious, balanced solution to deal with our deficit, instead of 
engaging in political theatrics by passing H.R. 6365.

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