[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 113 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H5272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         STOP GOVERNMENT ABUSE

  (Mr. CANTOR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the measures we're 
bringing to the floor this week aimed at stopping government abuse.
  With millions of working middle class Americans struggling, House 
Republicans have chosen to lead on the issues that matter to them. 
We've focused on creating jobs, lowering energy prices, offering 
children a better education, and lessening the burden of regulations 
and red tape on their lives. This week, we are holding government 
accountable to them by increasing transparency, cutting waste, and 
giving them new protections from an out-of-control bureaucracy.
  Our plan is to stop the reckless waste of taxpayer dollars with new 
controls for Federal agency spending and to give new powers to our 
citizens so that government bureaucrats can be held accountable for any 
political intimidation or poor customer service that may occur.
  These reforms are reforms that our country needs because many in 
Washington simply have forgotten the most important principle--the 
Federal Government works for the people and not the other way around.
  I'm surprised that the Democratic leaders have urged opposition to 
several of these commonsense measures. Why do they want to forbid 
citizens from transparently recording conversations with Federal 
regulators? You have to ask: Why do they want to keep paying out hefty 
bonuses to well-compensated executives in these times of fiscal stress 
and economic restraint? Why is it that the opposition leaders want to 
keep paying senior Federal officials who are under investigation for 
serious ethical wrongdoing? Why do they want to use taxpayer dollars to 
do that? It just defies logic, Mr. Speaker.
  The package of bills being brought to the floor this week are common 
sense, and they should easily garner bipartisan support. There's simply 
no reason for Members of either party to support megabonuses, expensive 
paid vacations, and zero accountability measures for Washington 
bureaucrats.
  We are here to represent the people, not the government. Working 
families in America want to trust their government, and they want to 
rebuild their faith in our economy. These bills are a much-needed step 
in the right direction toward accomplishing this goal.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this 
commonsense legislation. I urge the Senate to join us in this effort 
and not waste time while these abuses continue.

                          ____________________