[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 8437-8438]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1600
                        PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Driehaus). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Kratovil) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. KRATOVIL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of personal 
responsibility.
  Over the last week, we have all expressed outrage over the bonuses 
paid to AIG executives. The truth of the matter, however, is, this is 
just the latest example of a lack of personal responsibility that is 
rampant within our Nation. As we attempt to recoup taxpayer dollars 
wrongfully used to pay for those bonuses, we also need to recognize 
that what has happened at AIG is a symptom of a much broader issue 
affecting our Nation; and, until we as a Nation come to grips with the 
problem and begin addressing it, we will face the consequences of AIG-
like problems again and again.
  The lack of personal responsibility in our Nation is not simply 
apparent at AIG; it is evident everywhere. It is evident in the actions 
of unscrupulous lenders, making money off of unwitting borrowers, 
knowing full well these borrowers are being set up for failure. It is 
evident in the actions of reckless investors who took on enormous debt 
in the hopes of turning a quick profit, but instead passed their debt 
along to the American people. It is evident in the corporate 
executives, who, despite having ultimate responsibility for their 
failing companies, have absolutely no problem taking bonuses while 
their own employees, stockholders, and American taxpayers pay the price 
for their failings.
  It is evident in the views of some of our citizens who have benefited 
from the opportunities that wealth and privilege afford, and yet feel 
absolutely zero responsibility to assist in providing for the common 
good.
  It is evident in the talking heads on both sides of the political 
spectrum that intentionally, either for political gain or sheer 
entertainment, distort and oversimplify complex issues that erode 
confidence in our leaders and in our institutions.
  And, yes, Mr. Speaker, this lack of personal responsibility is also 
evident in us, Members of the House of Representatives, Democrats and 
Republicans, who continue to play politics and blame one another for 
political expediency instead of coming together to move our Nation 
forward.
  In short, the issue is simply not the executives at AIG. There is 
enough blame to go around, and we all have a part to play in changing 
the culture of our Nation.
  Regardless of what happens in the short term, long-term economic and 
moral strength of our Nation depends

[[Page 8438]]

on renewing one of our greatest American virtues, personal 
responsibility.

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