[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 74 (Wednesday, May 11, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H2221-H2222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           A STRONGER AMERICA OR A PATH TO ECONOMIC DISASTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Gibbs) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, in 2009 and 2010, when the other side of the 
aisle had complete control of Congress and the White House, the 
American people saw what liberals would pass when given free rein and a 
blank check.
  With Dodd-Frank, Democrats deemed it necessary to punish small 
community banks with burdensome regulations they cannot afford to 
comply with. Dodd-Frank created a new, unaccountable bureaucracy called 
the CFPB, which is funded in a way that obscures its transparency and 
prevents Congress' direct oversight of the agency. The lack of 
accountability like that seen with the CFPB and the heavy hand of 
agencies like the EPA and the IRS have become hallmarks of this 
administration.
  With the stimulus bill, Democrats gave handouts to their union and 
so-called green energy friends. Taxpayers were on the hook for loan 
guarantees to companies like Solyndra, which used its political 
connections in the White House to push through irresponsible loan 
approvals. When Solyndra went bankrupt, it was at the cost of the 
American people. Many other smaller boondoggles came out of the 
stimulus: silly studies on ducks, over $1 million on road signs that 
promote the stimulus, and over $3 million for a tunnel for turtles in 
Florida.
  This leaves ObamaCare. Too many Americans have felt the negative 
consequences of what boils down to a government takeover of the 
healthcare industry. The President claimed this law would decrease 
premiums by $2,500 per

[[Page H2222]]

year. Instead, they have risen since ObamaCare has been enacted. To go 
with the increase in cost, many Americans have seen a sharp decrease in 
their choices. There are fewer plans available, restricting the ability 
of hardworking families to choose coverage that is appropriate for 
their circumstances.
  Taken together, this trio of liberal policies is adding layers of 
bureaucratic red tape, forcing Americans to pay more for health care 
and putting taxpayers on the hook.
  In 2009, Democrats used the blank check to add $1.5 trillion in 
discretionary spending. When Republicans gained control of the House of 
Representatives in 2011, we put discretionary spending on a downward 
trend. Discretionary spending funds our Federal agencies such as the 
EPA and the IRS, as well as the Department of Defense. We have made 
real cuts in spending, not slowdowns in growth and not projected cuts 
down the road--honest-to-God cuts in spending. Since I took office in 
2011, discretionary spending has been cut significantly by $434 
billion.
  But this does not address mandatory spending, which is the real 
driver of our national debt. This includes programs like food 
assistance, welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest 
on our debt. Reforms are needed to ensure these programs work 
efficiently and are sustainable. Because of the way ObamaCare was 
written and enacted, mandatory spending also includes large portions of 
ObamaCare funding. Mandatory spending is on autopilot and will continue 
with or without Congress' annual appropriations process.
  The fact is we have to change the law. That means both Chambers of 
Congress have to pass reforms and the President has to sign them or we 
have to override a veto. Mandatory spending accounts for three-quarters 
of all money spent by the Federal Government. This is a 180-degree 
change from when I was a teenager, when in 1970, mandatory spending was 
only about a third of government spending.
  Realistically, there is only one path to a balanced budget and 
shrinking our national debt. That path is to pass a budget and use a 
process called reconciliation. A budget facilitates reconciliation, 
which only requires a 51-vote majority in the United States Senate and 
avoids a filibuster by liberals who want to continue running up 
America's credit card. Not doing a budget forfeits the opportunity to 
do reconciliation. Reconciliation with mandatory spending program 
reforms, coupled with real tax and regulatory reforms, will send a 
strong signal to our entrepreneurs and businesses, which will unleash 
innovation and the American spirit and will, thus, grow our economy and 
provide for our national defense. A vibrant economy will provide for 
our national security and priorities without raising taxes.
  We have an opportunity with a new President next year to send two 
reconciliation bills to his desk--one for this fiscal year and another 
for the next fiscal year. Elections do matter, and this one has 
historic implications--one being a path to a stronger America and 
opportunity for every American or a path on a downward spiral of 
economic disaster, risking our personal and economic freedoms. God help 
us.

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