[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RESPONSIBLE SPENDING CONTROLS

  (Mr. MESSER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MESSER. Mr. Speaker, Uncle Sam's free-spending ways have cost 
each American $27,000 over the last 4 years. As a Nation, we are adding 
$50,000 in debt each second. But listening to this President talk about 
sequestration, you would think that we can't spend one penny less, even 
though discretionary spending has risen over his tenure, even though we 
spend millions on such necessities as robotic squirrels, Martian menus, 
hot-air balloons, and other so-called priorities.
  The House has voted twice to replace the President's sequester with 
commonsense spending reforms. It is time to get serious about replacing 
these indiscriminate cuts with other more targeted spending reductions, 
but not by raising taxes again.
  Mr. Speaker, I am willing to work with this President to replace his 
sequester with responsible spending controls. I am not willing to ask 
our constituents to give Washington more of their hard-earned money so 
it can be squandered and added to the hefty tab Uncle Sam is piling up 
on their behalf.

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