[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 156 (Friday, October 23, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H7143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          RAISE THE DEBT LIMIT

  (Mr. HECK of Washington asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HECK of Washington. Mr. Speaker, November 3 is when we reach our 
statutory budget limit. That is when we must raise our debt limit or we 
default on our obligations: Social Security payments, Medicare 
reimbursements, and military paychecks.
  Some critics don't want us to raise the limit. They say that spending 
is too out of control; but, frankly, that is like going into a 
restaurant, eating a meal, and then skipping out on the check because 
you wanted to save on calories. If that happens, you are not paying 
what you owe.
  Even if you commit to spending nothing more, you are still on the 
hook for your financial obligations and commitments. I have a lot of 
hardworking small-business owners in my district. They don't skip out 
on their bills, and they don't expect the government to either.
  There is no doubt about it. Our economy will suffer. At a time when 
our budget deficit is at its lowest level in 8 years, we should not 
take this step backward. Let's pay our bills, not torch our economy.

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