[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 131 (Saturday, September 28, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H5927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         PROTECTING THE FINANCIAL SOLVENCY OF THE UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin my remarks with a couple 
of comments about the budget process. I think my colleagues could be a 
little bit confused on this.
  I will remind my colleagues that it is this body that every single 
year meets our statutory duty and our constitutional duty to bring 
forward a budget that funds the operations of the United States of 
America. We do not miss our deadlines, and this year, we did it. I know 
that the White House did their Sweet 16 bracket before they did their 
budget, but we were still pleased to see that they were willing to 
participate in that process, and we were pleased that our friends in 
the Senate, for the first time in 5 years, decided they would enter 
into the budget process.
  We were very disappointed, quite frankly, when they said they would 
not move to the conference table with us until we agreed to a tax 
increase. That is what they want--an agreement to a tax increase in 
this kind of economy and with about 8 percent unemployment and with 20 
million Americans either un- or underemployed? They want more taxes--
more control over people's lives? We were not willing to do that.
  We are continuing to stand and fight for the American people--for 
responsible government, for getting this budget balanced within the 
next decade, and for getting this country back on the road to fiscal 
health.
  I will also remind my colleagues that one of the things we continue 
to hear from this White House and this administration is that they want 
a government shutdown. Now, they try to blame us--we realize that--but 
I've got to tell you that I've got a titanium backbone. Let them blame. 
Let them talk. It's fine. They want a government shutdown. For my 
colleagues, I would direct their attention to the Congressional 
Research Service for the summary of what happens in a government 
shutdown.
  For the interest of my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, I will just walk 
through some of these points.
  One of the reasons they want it is that the President wants control 
of the checkbook. Right now, the U.S. House of Representatives has that 
control, and we want to keep it. We don't want a government shutdown. 
We want to keep the government open and keep cutting it. We want to 
keep the government open so we can delay, defund, repeal, and replace 
ObamaCare. This budget process of going into a shutdown gives control 
to the administrative branch.
  There is another little tidbit when you read this circular, and it 
directs you to the 2011 revision of Circular No. A-11. OMB's current 
instructions would have agency heads use the Department of Justice 
opinions. I can tell you the American people and a Republican-led House 
do not want Eric Holder and Barack Obama making the determination of 
who and what will be open in this Federal Government, what will be 
funded and what agencies are going to be working. We don't want to give 
them that responsibility. I know they want that. I know they're trying 
to get a government shutdown, but I have to tell you that that is not 
what we want.
  What we are for, as I said, is of making certain that we protect the 
future and the financial solvency of this great Nation. One of the 
reasons we have worked so diligently on a budget for this body is that 
we know the cost and the impact that ObamaCare is going to have on the 
Nation's fiscal health, and we are very concerned about it. We see what 
is happening in our communities.
  I just want to reference some of the correspondence and conversations 
I am having with my constituents in Tennessee.
  Yesterday, I spoke with a gentleman who went to a check cashing 
store, borrowed $400, started a retail business, now has 45 employees 
in five locations--a great business. What he is looking at is he can't 
expand. He can't hire anybody else. He is having to deal with all of 
the hoops that really weigh this business down, and it is because of 
ObamaCare.

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