[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 165 (Thursday, December 20, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H7418-H7421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            AMERICA'S FUTURE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 5, 2011, the Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Tennessee 
(Mrs. Blackburn) for the remaining time until 10 p.m as the designee of 
the majority leader.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. I am absolutely delighted to stand and say ``thank 
you'' to Mr. Flake--Senator Flake, it will be--and to Mr. Pence. It 
will be Governor Pence. We are delighted that they have served here. 
And I will have to say that they have been happy warriors as we have 
many times stood on this floor and have fought against earmarks, have 
fought against increased spending.
  And I dare say, Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Flake crosses the rotunda and 
into the other Chamber, I don't think the Senate will ever go back to 
earmarks, because I know someone who can filibuster an earmark with the 
best of them. That talent is coming to that other Chamber.
  Indeed, the happy warrior who will be the Governor of Indiana, my 
concern there, quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, is I know some of the 
reforms that he has in mind for that great State, and I don't want them 
to become too competitive with my home State of Tennessee. I'm going to 
be keeping a very close eye on the good work that he is

[[Page H7419]]

doing there for the people of Indiana and look forward to what he is 
going to do.
  It is so very true, and we talk about it a lot, but I think we 
appreciate it here in this Chamber. Our States are the laboratories of 
democracy in this great Nation. That is where great ideas come from. 
They bubble up and they get tested. We know that Indiana is going to 
have quite a few new ideas that they'll be trying, so we're looking 
forward to seeing what he will do there.
  I want to yield at this time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Hensarling) who has worked so closely with these two gentlemen as we 
have fought expanded government, fought higher taxes, fought 
uncontrollable and out-of-control spending. I yield to the gentleman 
for his comments this evening.
  Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentlelady for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, an hour ago, I had no idea that I would be on the House 
floor to witness the farewell speeches of two giants who have served in 
this institution. In many ways, Mr. Speaker, I approach my comments 
tonight with trepidation because my voice is most inadequate and 
unprepared for this moment.
  The term ``happy warrior'' was used. The gentleman from Arizona (Mr. 
Flake), I have never known him not to have a smile on his face. Mr. 
Speaker, if there was one individual who summed up the phrase that one 
man in the right makes a majority, it's the gentleman from Arizona, 
Jeff Flake.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt whatsoever that the other body will 
never be the same when the gentleman from Arizona steps into that other 
Chamber--because of his leadership. Many come here and serve. They 
speak with eloquence. They represent their values. They represent their 
constituents. But, Mr. Speaker, not all that many leave this 
institution and can look themselves in the mirror and know they have 
made a difference. The gentleman from Arizona has made a difference in 
the people's House and how the peoples's money has been spent.
  Mr. Speaker, it's a challenging time in our Nation's history. There's 
much turmoil. I know many question Madison's genius--perhaps mad 
genius--in providing for this thing called divided government. It's 
sloppy; it's messy; it gets a little noisy; it's not always efficient; 
but it has produced the greatest, freest, most prosperous Republic in 
the history of mankind. That divided government is played out in this 
institution by noble men and women who mean well. Again, I find my 
voice most inadequate to honor the work of these two great men.
  I look at the words above you, Mr. Speaker, ``In God we trust.'' Few 
have lived that and had it emblazoned on their heart as the gentleman 
from Indiana, Mike Pence.

                              {time}  2130

  He knows the words of Jefferson: Can the liberties of a Nation be 
thought secure when we have removed their only firm foundation, and 
that is a conviction in the hearts of man that these liberties are 
gifts of God?
  I know this man, this great man from the Heartland. I know Karen, 
Michael, Charlotte and Audrey. What a strong family. I want to thank 
them for their sacrifice. We, Mr. Speaker, as you know, we serve our 
country, but we don't sacrifice. But our families do. What a great 
sacrifice of the Pence family of Indiana to let this great man come and 
serve with distinction for these years.
  Mike Pence has brought the values of the Heartland to this 
institution and taught us all well. He has led by example, and he's 
done something that, frankly, few Members have done, and that is he has 
inspired us to greatness.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, many serve here as public servants, but some go 
beyond being a public servant and they embody everything that was good 
and great about the Founders. We have a special word for those people, 
it's called ``patriot.'' Mike Pence, the gentleman from Indiana, is a 
patriot. His moral compass always points true north. His humor and 
compassion have lifted his colleagues in this Chamber in tough and 
challenging moments.
  He embodies that definition of character that he always does what is 
right even when no one is watching. And because he understands better 
than most what the true genius of America is, every day he gets up, he 
praises his Lord, he thanks Him for his family, and he dreams bold 
dreams because, Mr. Speaker, he is an American.
  Mr. Speaker, I've been granted many blessings in life, many blessings 
in life, few that I will cherish as much as the blessing of fighting 
for freedom on the floor of the United States House of Representatives 
at the side of Mike Pence. He has taught me that verse in Proverbs that 
``iron sharpens iron.'' Mr. Speaker, he has always sharpened my iron. 
He has taught me about Proverbs 18:24: And there is a friend that 
sticketh closer than a brother. Mike Pence is my friend that sticketh 
closer than a brother.
  I've often thought, What is the highest praise that I can pay to such 
a friend? Back in Dallas, Texas, I've got a son, Travis; he's 9. Since 
it's a school night, he, hopefully, is not playing Angry Birds or 
Plants Versus Zombie or some other electronic game. He and his sister 
are the apple of my eye and my wife's eye. And I think, Mr. Speaker, 
what kind of life might my son have? How do I want to raise my son? 
What do I want to teach him? Who do I want him to emulate? Mr. Speaker, 
I've said this about very few people I have met in life, but Mr. 
Speaker, I could never be more proud than if my son, Travis Jeb 
Hensarling, grew up to be like Mike Pence, the Governor-elect of 
Indiana, my friend, our patriot.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentleman for those kind remarks.
  I know that we all share in expressing how much we have enjoyed 
having these gentlemen with us. We also want to recognize someone. I 
want to yield to the gentleman from Florida, who has been with us for 
all too short a period of time. Mr. West is here for his last day on 
this floor. I know that each of us joins in saying thank you to him.
  He came to this floor and, Mr. Speaker, he does not back down from 
the fight. I think that he runs toward that fight when it is a fight 
for freedom, when it is a fight for getting this government under 
control and returning us to our constitutional principles, because he 
is a constitutional conservative.
  As we have, this week, stood on this floor and have discussed the 
issues that are in front of us, the issues that the media have termed 
the ``fiscal cliff,'' you know, many of us have talked about this, that 
this day was coming. Indeed, the Republicans in the House have been 
working on this issue for months. My goodness, we sent bills starting 
in May over to the Senate. They've been sitting on Harry Reid's desk, 
some of them--the last one went over September 19--and they have chosen 
not to take up those bills.
  It's important to note that in that lesson of looking at what the 
Senate chose not to do and what the leader of the Senate chose not to 
do, we have people in the House that chose to take an action that would 
prohibit higher taxes on all Americans. It would prohibit the 
sequestration from taking place on our military, and it would enable us 
to move toward a pathway of fiscal responsibility and economic growth 
and renaissance in this Nation.
  So at this time, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. West).
  Mr. WEST. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for allowing 
me to participate this evening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me 
to have this time. But I want to also pay homage to two great men that 
are going to be departing this House of Representatives.
  I think back to 5 years ago, in December of 2007. I had just gotten 
back from 2\1/2\ years of serving in Afghanistan, and I decided that I 
was going to throw my hat into the ring to run for Congress in 2008. I 
understood what it meant to be a constitutional conservative. I 
understood what it meant when you talked about limited government, when 
you talked about fiscal responsibility, individual sovereignty; when 
you talked about a free marketplace of ideas, where the American people 
can prosper, and also a strong national defense. But of course the 
critical thing was I could go back and I could read Locke and I could 
read Montesquieu. I could read Hobbes or Rousseau. I could read all of 
the writings of our Founding Fathers. But I wanted to look at two 
individuals or several individuals that I could see as role models.

[[Page H7420]]

  So when you get back and you start to look at C-SPAN and say, Who can 
I model myself after, I can tell you that the two men that are going to 
depart this House of Representatives--one to go be Senator-elect from 
Arizona, another going to be Governor-elect from Indiana--were two 
individuals that I studied.
  When I wanted to know about fiscal responsibility, I heard about this 
gentleman, Representative Jeff Flake from Arizona, who was Mr. Earmark. 
I, first of all, had to understand, okay, being in the military, what 
does an earmark mean? Well, I come to understand what it meant, and I 
come to understand how horrible it is when you look at what is 
happening with our debt and our deficit and our fiscal 
irresponsibility.
  I came to understand what it meant to have principles and pragmatism 
and having the courage to stand upon your convictions and continue to 
push and continue to try to make a difference, even if it seems that 
you may stand alone. Because that's one of the mottos from a great unit 
in the 101st Airborne Division, Currahee. We know that from the Band of 
Brothers what that means, ``stands alone.''
  If there is one person that has always stood alone and will continue 
to do so for the principles that are right, fiscal responsible 
principles that are right, it's Senator-elect Jeff Flake. Being able to 
study him and see him and not so much worrying about having a bunch of 
conversations, but learning by example, helped me to have 2 great years 
here in the people's House, the people's House where for 22 years in 
uniform I served to protect, and now I got the opportunity to walk in 
these great Halls with a great man, who I know will continue to go on 
to the Senate, where they truly do need some help with fiscal 
responsibility.
  I know that when we look across, just the same as that unit in 
December of 1944, when they were surrounded, they sent back one simple 
response, that they were not going to surrender. I think we all know 
what that one-word response is.

                              {time}  2140

  If I could think of one person that will stand on the Senate floor 
and give that same response, it will be Senator-elect, Jeff Flake.
  Now, when I think about the other gentleman, the Governor-elect of 
Indiana, there was a person that contacted me, and if you talked to 
him, he will say I was supporting Allen West before it became cool to 
support Allen West, and that is absolutely 100 percent right. Because 
Mike Pence understood that it's not about the empty promises of 
outreach to a community, it's about finding those individuals that 
really and truthfully do believe in constitutional, conservative 
principles and supporting them to get them to a position where they can 
have a voice and they can, in turn, be examples to our black 
communities. That's what Mike Pence did for me in 2008. He kept 
encouraging me. And even though we fell short, on that next day, he was 
the first person to call and say:
  I know what type of man you are, and I know what type of fighter you 
are, and I know you're going to do it again.
  Therefore, I ended up being here in 2010. I had the opportunity to be 
taught, to be coached and to be mentored by a great man, a great 
constitutional conservative, a man there that will go make a difference 
for a State, and I think that one day he will make a difference for our 
great Nation.
  So as once upon a time a general said, as he stood there, that old 
soldiers never die, they just fade away, I'm not going to fade away, 
because these two men have encouraged me to do something better and do 
something different, to take off a camouflage uniform and put on a suit 
and tie but continue to fight for the principles and values that make 
this country great and that make this country exceptional. I think 
that's what we see happening right now.
  I am so encouraged that we have the right people here in the House, 
we will have the right people in the Senate and we will have the right 
people down in our States to make a difference to secure a better 
future for all of our children and our grandchildren so we do not 
saddle them with the debt that we're currently looking at, we do not 
saddle them with the out-of-control spending, and we do not leave them 
with an unsecure America and an unstable world.
  Those men that are going to depart here are going to be part of that 
transformation, that restoration, that reclaiming of a sense of 
American pride and exceptionalism that when we look at those words up 
there, ``in God we trust,'' we will truly inculcate that back into who 
we are as a people.
  So as we go forth, we talk about this thing called the fiscal cliff, 
I know that these men understood what the right type of tax policies 
are that create economic growth. We are not about wealth 
redistribution. We are about wealth expansion. We are about that 
American Dream that can take an inner city kid from Atlanta, Georgia, 
and allow him to be standing here today speaking to the American people 
before incredible men that will go and do more incredible things for 
this great Nation.
  I believe that we are standing on the verge of a new dawn for 
America. But all we have to do is go back and recommit to those 
principles and value that our Founding Fathers accepted, that our 
Founding Fathers wrote in the Declaration, that they improved and 
perfected through the Constitution, and now they're looking at us in 
this generation to be the ones that carry it on. 236 years. And I 
believe that we will be around for another 236 years.
  The test for us right now is do we believe that America is about a 
bigger government? Or do we believe that America is about an 
indomitable, entrepreneurial spirit? And if we believe the latter 
instead of the former, then we will have those right tax policies, we 
will have the right regulatory policies, and we will have the right 
monetary policies so that we are not printing more money and devaluing 
our dollar so that we see commodity prices going up.
  Will we, once again, have our small businesses grow, which is a 
reflection of our entrepreneurial spirit? But, most importantly, will 
we respect the individual, their sovereignty, their rights, and their 
freedoms, and make sure that we have the strongest, most powerful 
military that will cause people to say, we will not challenge you, 
because they know that what we stand for, this that we will defend, is 
something that we truly do believe in.
  So as this may be my last time speaking here on this House floor, I 
can tell you that the principles and values that we stand for as 
constitutional conservatives, you don't have to be in the House of 
Representatives to continue that fight, because it's a fight worth 
doing, but it's a fight worth doing because I've had some great men and 
great women to be examples for me as I go forward.
  There are many men and women that are standing on freedom's ramparts, 
our watchmen on the walls, that are trusting and depending on us right 
now to make sure that their service, their sacrifice, and their 
commitment shall not be in vain.
  So I thank you all. I thank you for your coaching and your mentoring. 
I thank you for the example that you set. I thank you for allowing me 
to be here to speak on this night.
  May God bless America, and may God keep us all forevermore.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. We thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding 
back, and we thank him so much for his service to this House.
  Mr. Speaker, as we close for the Christmas season, I do want to make 
just a few comments about what has transpired today. And I think it is 
so noteworthy that those Members who are departing have stood on this 
floor tonight and have talked about what it means to serve in the U.S. 
House of Representatives, and how grateful we are that they have chosen 
that service. And we each have shared a commitment to make certain that 
we are committed to pushing--pushing--the Federal Government to get its 
fiscal house in order.
  Indeed, Mr. Hensarling many times has said that that is our primary 
goal as conservatives because we know that the greatest threat to our 
Nation's security is our nation's debt. Many of us talk about Admiral 
Mullen's comments on July 6, 2010, when he said that the greatest 
threat to our Nation's security is our Nation's debt.
  This week, as we have looked at the so-called fiscal cliff, as we 
have looked

[[Page H7421]]

at the expiration of the tax cuts, as we have worked through the 
growing and just boiling and rolling debt that is sweeping over this 
government, as we have watched this deficit climb higher every year, we 
have sought to find a solution to this.
  As I mentioned earlier in our remarks, we have stood in this House, 
and going back to May 10, we passed reconciliation August 1, we passed 
an extension of all the 2001, 2003 tax reductions--they're called the 
Bush tax cuts. We passed a sequester bill on the 2nd, and on September 
19, we passed a pathway to tax reform.
  Mr. Speaker, what is so significant about that is that those pieces 
of legislation left here, some of them with a bipartisan vote, all with 
a strong vote from this body, and they traveled across to the Senate. 
And from May to September, they found their place on Harry Reid's desk. 
What is so sad about this is that Harry Reid made his choice. The 
Senate made their choice. And their choice was to not take up those 
pieces of legislation.
  This crisis that we have had, our so-called crisis, the fiscal cliff 
crisis and Taxmageddon, all of this is a crisis of their making because 
it is a crisis of inaction. But, Mr. Speaker, many times, that is what 
happens here. It is inaction, what does not get done, that causes the 
situation where there is a rush to the last minute.
  We have had the American people watching closely, and we have had the 
comments from the President, the comments from different ones in the 
Cabinet, and the comments from the Senate. But I remind my colleagues 
that we took our actions here in the body, we sent that legislation, 
and we did it because we understand that $16 trillion worth of debt and 
annual deficits of $1 trillion are far too much for our children and 
grandchildren.

                              {time}  2150

  The speakers tonight who have joined me on this floor have talked 
about how we have hopes and dreams for our children, for our 
grandchildren, for the futures of our families. You know what? If 
you're facing $16 trillion, $20 trillion, $25 trillion worth of debt as 
a nation, it is very difficult to see those hopes and dreams come true.
  My concern as I look at my grandchildren is that the decisions--maybe 
the selfishness even--of people in Washington who want to tax too much 
and want to spend too much, who are taxing and spending not their 
money, but my children and grandchildren's money, children of the next 
generation, leaders maybe even a generation or more away, they are 
spending their money, because at this point we are borrowing 46 cents 
of every dollar we spend. It's not sustainable.
  That is why we have very thoughtfully, over the last several months, 
approached this issue, and it's why this week we have worked with our 
leadership to find a solution to this, to look at different angles. And 
the decision came that the best decision for this, the best way to 
approach it, the best way to make certain we address this is to stand 
firm on the actions that the House has taken and for the Senate to take 
up the legislation that they've had the opportunity to take up since 
September 19. They could take up any bill and amend it. They could vote 
on it. They could send it back to us. They could go to conference.
  You see, as we talk about our children and their future and as we 
talk about this amount of debt, what we do not want to do is to cap our 
children's future and trade to the people that hold our debt. If we're 
not careful, that's exactly what is going to happen.
  As we have gone through this process this week, as my colleagues have 
all watched it and said exactly what has happened, what are the 
decisions, what are the consequences of the decisions we have made, are 
we going to resolve it, I do believe that you are going to see a 
resolution to this. It will happen because the American people are 
saying to us and they're saying to the President, It is time to get 
this spending under control. Our children deserve better of us. They 
have the right to live free lives, to dream big dreams, and to make 
those dreams come true.
  I do want to say a ``thank you'' to our leadership. I think the way 
that Speaker Boehner has handled these issues this week, the way he has 
worked with the Members in this body to show respect to them, to show 
respect for their opinions and respect for their constituents, I think 
that that has been a true sign of leadership that was willing to listen 
and then willing to move the way the body wanted to move.
  And the decision was made by the body not to move forward on the Plan 
B. But I think in making that decision, what you will see is our 
leadership moving forward more committed and with individuals even more 
prepared to get to work and to get this solved and to do what the 
American people are expecting us to do, which is to get this spending 
under control. They have sent the message loud and clear: Washington 
does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. It has an 
out-of-control spending problem and an insatiable appetite for the 
taxpayers' money.
  As we have worked through this week, as we've talked to our 
constituents--and so many of us in this body have done telephone town 
halls and we have been on the phone and we have answered emails. And we 
know that there is no limit to how much money, how much of other 
people's money government will try to spend. There's no limit to how 
much of the taxpayers' money. So the American people have sent the 
message to us and we all have sent it to our leadership, and they have 
listened and they have responded.
  The time to get the spending under control is now. The time to stop 
kicking the can down the road is now. And we will head away for 
Christmas and return, I think, with a strength and a resolve and a 
courage to address the fiscal issues of this Nation. The House, where 
the spending bills and appropriation process begins, we will tackle 
this with strength, with resolve, with courage to get the job done so 
that, just as my colleagues have said here tonight, so that future 
generations have a brighter future and so that we will continue to 
stand for the cause of freedom.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________