[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 31 (Tuesday, March 5, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SPENDING PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY

  (Mr. HARRIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, in January, the President asked hardworking 
taxpayers to contribute 2 percent more of their hard-earned paychecks 
to the Federal Government in the form of a payroll tax increase. They 
had to cut their household budgets by 2 percent. The President's 
sequester that went into effect last Friday called for a less-than-2-
percent decrease in government spending, but the President now thinks 
that 2 percent is too much to cut from each Federal dollar. We all know 
the President's sequester is probably not the right way to control 
spending because it cuts programs across the board without any 
prioritization. But we all know this country has a spending problem, 
and we need to get it under control.
  I can't help but think if the American people had to just cut 2 
percent from their budgets, why can't the Federal Government? If 
hardworking taxpayers had to figure out how to manage with 2 percent 
less, can't the Federal Government figure out how to spend two less 
pennies out of every Federal dollar?

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