[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H10115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             BUDGET CRISIS

  (Mr. HERN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HERN. Mr. Speaker, in the last 10 years, our country's national 
debt has grown from $10 trillion to nearly $22 trillion. This 
trajectory is not sustainable. While there is no easy fix to this, the 
first step is clear: stop adding to it.
  President Trump is leading by example telling his Cabinet to 
eliminate waste in their departments. He understands the fiscal cliff 
we are standing on and is taking the right steps to get our spending 
under control.
  Now it is time for us to do our job. We cannot govern from crisis to 
crisis. We need a budget that balances, and we need to get back to 
regular order by passing all 12 appropriations bills.
  Short-term spending bills are not the solution, and we cannot rely on 
them anymore. With the national debt growing every day, we cannot 
continue to kick the can down the road. We need to face this crisis 
head-on.
  Frankly, Americans deserve better. It is time we put in the work to 
get it right and solve our budget crisis. Let's get to work.

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