[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 15617]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    PROVIDING STATUTORY PAYGO RULES

  (Ms. TSONGAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, no one was more passionate about the 
dangers of an exploding national debt than my late husband, Senator 
Paul Tsongas, who made it a central focus of his 1992 campaign for 
President.
  During the years of the Clinton administration, fiscal responsibility 
prevailed and the debt clock started to roll back. But we have seen a 
stark reversal of that success, with spending on two wars, tax cuts for 
the wealthy and a massive new entitlement program, none of it paid for.
  As a member of the Budget Committee, I was proud to cosponsor 
legislation this week that would re-institute statutory pay-as-you-go 
rules. PAYGO is not an untested theory, but a commonsense tool with a 
proven track record that requires us in Washington to make tough 
choices. Throughout the 1990s, it paved the way for balanced budgets 
and responsible government, and it can do it again.
  As we tackle two of the most important issues of our time, energy and 
health care reform, it is critical that we enact PAYGO rules that 
signal to our creditors that we are finally serious. We have a 
responsibility to pay for what we do.

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