[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17985]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     NOT SO FAST WITH THE CONFETTI

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week marked the passage of an 
important milestone in American history. But don't just break out the 
confetti and the fireworks so quickly.
  According to the Treasury Department, our national debt just passed 
$15 trillion for the first time in history. Mr. Speaker, here is what 
$15 trillion looks like. That seems like a lot of money to me. That 
totals over $48,000 for every man, woman, and child across the fruited 
plain.
  Now, how did we get here? Through unchecked, excessive spending by 
the Federal Government.
  This addiction to spending somebody else's money has got to stop. We 
must be bold and cut unnecessary spending. Tough times call for tough 
actions, and we must even do more.
  Congress must pass the balanced budget amendment. Force the 
government to balance its books just like Americans are supposed to do. 
We keep digging ourselves into the dark abyss of debt. Maybe we should 
quit digging before we reach Greece or the bottomless pit of 
bankruptcy.
  And that's just the way it is.

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