[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 170 (Sunday, December 30, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H7438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              FISCAL CLIFF

  (Mr. ALTMIRE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Recent reports have said this Congress is the most 
unproductive in modern times. Those studies compare the number of 
rollcall votes and bills passed to previous sessions. But the most 
important comparison is whether each Congress rose to the challenges 
they faced and were able to do big things on behalf of their 
constituents and the country. By that measure, there truly is no 
comparison.
  Whether or not you supported the actions of previous Congresses, 
there can be no doubt that those congressional leaders took bold and 
decisive action to address crises both imminent and still to come. 
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said--yet--for this Congress, which 
has to this point failed to address a fiscal cliff that could easily be 
avoided before the clock strikes midnight tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, there is still time to change the way history will judge 
the action--or inaction--of this Congress. With crisis comes 
opportunity. We still have time to finish the job, so let's not 
squander this opportunity to remove this Congress from the ranks of the 
most infamous in history.

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