[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 20, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H1637-H1638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           A BALANCED BUDGET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Radel) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RADEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the House 
Republican budget, a balanced budget. Let me be very, very clear about 
this. A balanced budget means jobs. Again, a balanced budget means 
jobs.
  Think about this for a second. Your family at home, you balance your 
budget; why can't Washington? Businesses balance their budget; why 
can't Washington? And House Republicans today, all we're asking is to 
balance the budget in 10 years. Think about this. If you have a 10-
year-old, by the time we balance the budget, your 10-year-old will 
basically be almost done with college.
  So in a bipartisan fashion, I would say look at the 1990s. Let's look 
at President Bill Clinton who balanced the budget with a Republican-
controlled House, opportunity and jobs ran rampant. We need to return 
to that today. So we're asking this President, Please, work with us, 
Mr. President. But what is worse in all of this is how Senate Democrats 
have failed to serve you. The last time that they even passed a budget 
was before the iPad existed--before the iPad existed.
  We're willing to compromise; we're willing to work with people. But 
how can we work with Senate Democrats when they're not working at all? 
They're not doing their job at all to serve you, the American people. 
Their budget right now that they're working on does nothing more than 
raise taxes. They want more of your money, more money out of your 
paycheck. Ask yourself, does Washington really need more of your money?
  We're $16 trillion in debt. We have deficits that we can't even wrap 
our arms around, and they want more of your money. If you had a 
financial adviser that put you a million dollars in

[[Page H1638]]

debt and then ripped through your savings for your children's college 
education and all of your checking account and said, ``Yeah, just give 
me some more money and we'll solve the problem,'' would you do it? 
Absolutely not.
  More than jobs, though, we're also working to save Medicare and 
Social Security, the commitments that we have made to the American 
people. So let's take a look here at the big picture. Here's a budget 
breakdown of where we're at right now. Look, your eyes will glaze over 
when we start talking about the trillions of dollars that we spend. But 
let's take a look at what you pay versus what you expect.
  This blue part right here is on autopilot. No adults have come to the 
table to talk about where we're at today and how to actually save your 
Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid in this big blue part. We're 
doing that today, House Republicans, in balancing the budget. But this 
is what you expect from the Federal Government: your education, roads, 
bridges, a healthy environment, and what's mandated by the 
Constitution, our Armed Forces to protect us.
  But this is where it gets really scary. All of this blue part here 
for Medicare and Social Security is what we take in. In other words, 
all of our cash on hand, if you will, the money that you pay the 
Federal Government every time you get a paycheck or pay your income 
taxes, this is all devoted to Medicare and Medicaid and Social 
Security. In other words, everything else--your education, the 
environment, our roads, bridges, ports, Armed Forces--all of that money 
to pay for that basically is borrowed. It's borrowed--or worse, just 
printed.
  This is the sad reality that we're facing today. But with Republican 
House leadership and working with Democrats who are actually willing to 
come to the table and compromise--and not just work with us, work for 
you--we can save Social Security and Medicare.
  And by the way, when you hear Democrats or you see the videos of them 
throwing your grandmother off a cliff or telling you that Republicans 
just want to cut, cut, cut, no; this is about save, save, save. And in 
the words of a hip-hop band from my generation, Public Enemy: don't 
believe the hype.
  House Republicans are working today for you. We're working to save 
Social Security and Medicare. We're working to save this economy and, 
ultimately, this country for you.

                          ____________________