[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3681-3684]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        AMERICA'S FISCAL HEALTH

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I am humbled today to deliver my initial, 
my very first speech on the floor of the Senate and to discuss a topic 
of vital importance to our country's future--our Nation's fiscal 
health.
  It is a privilege to join the distinguished Members of this Chamber 
and to work alongside my friend of nearly 40 years now, Senator Pat 
Roberts. We met some time ago when I came to Washington, DC, as a 
summer intern in the summer of 1974 and Watergate for a Congressman 
named Sebelius. My colleague Pat Roberts was his Chief of Staff and has 
been my friend since.
  I am also humbled to follow in the footsteps of Gov. Sam Brownback 
and the many who came before him and whose names are etched in this 
desk where I now stand. I am mindful of their service and particularly 
that of Senator Bob Dole who served Kansans for nearly three decades in 
this seat.
  During nearly 36 years on Capitol Hill, Senator Dole became known as 
the leader who worked relentlessly to forge alliances in order to pass 
significant legislation. Today he serves as a role model for those who 
have dedicated their lives to public service. I thank Senator Dole for 
his call yesterday wishing me well today, but I thank him more for his 
distinguished service to our country and to Kansans. I know that love 
and respect the people of his hometown of Russell have for him. I will 
work to honor his legacy.
  I grew up just down the road from Bob Dole's hometown in a smaller 
town, Plainville, a place where folks know their neighbors and look 
after them. Much of what I know about people I learned early in my life 
by working at the local hardware store, the swimming pool, the 
drugstore, and on my paper route. I learned there is good in every 
person and that satisfaction in life comes from what you do for others 
rather than what you do for yourself. I learned that each family's joys 
and sorrows are increased and diminished when they are shared with 
their neighbors and friends. And I learned what it means to put others 
first, as my mom and dad always have. I was fortunate to grow up with 
loving parents who taught me the value of hard work, the importance of 
education, and the necessity of integrity. In fact, they once made me 
return the 3 cents I had found when I turned in a pop bottle from my 
neighbor's back porch.
  My dad, a World War II veteran, worked in the oilfields of western 
Kansas, and my mom, who grew up in the Depression, was the lady you 
paid your light bill to. They were my Sunday School teachers and my Boy 
Scout leaders, and they always encouraged me to do my best. My parents 
worked hard, avoided debt, paid their bills, and wanted to make sure my 
sister and I would have the chance to pursue our dreams.
  I was also fortunate to have many teachers who instilled in me a love 
for learning and a desire to explore the world beyond our city limits. 
As a kid, I enjoyed reading about politics and history and government. 
People such as my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Pruter helped me to develop 
an interest in our country and public service. Because of my teachers' 
interest in me, I am part of the first generation in our family to 
attend and graduate from college.
  Nothing in my background would suggest I would have the opportunity 
to serve as a Member of the Senate. That says something about our 
country and the opportunity we as Americans have to dream big and to 
pursue those dreams. It also says something about my home State and the 
special way of life we lead.
  The pioneering spirit of those who settled our State 150 years ago 
and tamed the West lives on in Kansas today. We work hard, we come 
together to find commonsense solutions, and try to make a difference in 
our communities, our State, and our Nation. We

[[Page 3682]]

also strive to provide a better future for our kids and grandkids so 
they can pursue their dreams and reach their goals. This is the reason 
I got involved in public service, and it is the reason I remain 
involved today.
  Since coming to Congress in 1997, I made a priority to stay connected 
to the Kansans I represent, so I return home on the weekends. Whether I 
am at the grocery store, attending church, or filling the tank with 
gas, the conversations I have with Kansans matter to me and impact the 
work I do here in Washington. When I served in the House of 
Representatives, I held annual townhall meetings in each of the 69 
counties in my district, following the lead of my predecessor, then-
Congressman Pat Roberts. I have continued this tradition as a Senator. 
I have continued this tradition as a Senator and begun traveling 
throughout all 105 counties in our State to hear directly from Kansans, 
and I am committed to making sure their voices are heard in our 
Nation's Capital.
  Last spring in Kansas, I watched our oldest daughter walk across her 
college graduation stage and it was another defining moment for me. Our 
country is facing enormous fiscal challenges and if we fail to act, our 
children's future is at risk. I believe all Members of Congress, and in 
fact every American, has the responsibility to be a good steward of 
what has been passed on to us. So at that moment, that graduation 
event, I renewed my commitment to do my part to turn this country 
around.
  I am one of many voices to express this concern. In 1985, President 
Reagan took the podium during his second inaugural address and spoke 
about one of his greatest concerns: our Nation's deficit spending. He 
told the American people that 50 years of deficit spending had finally 
brought our Nation to the time of reckoning. He said:

       We've come to a turning point, a moment for hard decisions. 
     We must act now to protect future generations from 
     government's desire to spend its citizens' money and tax them 
     into servitude when the bills come due.

  I am here today, 26 years later, to issue, unfortunately, the same 
warning. We are again facing a turning point in our country's history 
and we no longer can delay difficult decisions. When President Reagan 
stood and spoke those words, our national debt was $1.8 trillion. 
Today, that number has soared to $14 trillion--slowing our economic 
growth and threatening the prosperity of future generations who will 
have to pay for our irresponsibility.
  Our government borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends and half 
our national debt is held by foreigners, many who do not share our 
interests. The simple truth is our Nation's debt is the responsibility 
of several Congresses and Presidents who have allowed us to live well 
beyond our means for way too long. Members of both political parties 
have ignored this growing fiscal crisis and left it up to others in the 
future to deal with.
  In my travels in Kansas I am often asked: How can Washington continue 
to spend and borrow so much? What will our country be like for our kids 
and grandkids? I join Kansans in voicing these concerns. In the last 2 
years, government spending has grown nearly 25 percent and we have had 
record trillion-dollar budget deficits. This year, the Federal 
Government will spend $3.7 trillion and collect $2.2 trillion. That is 
a shortfall of $1.5 trillion. Common sense--Kansas common sense--tells 
us that pattern cannot continue.
  Some will say we need to raise taxes to get us out of this mess. But 
the reality is we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending 
problem. Experience shows us that money raised by Washington, DC, 
results in more spending in Washington, DC.
  The debate about government spending is often seen as a 
philosophical, academic, or partisan issue, but the truth is out-of-
control borrowing and spending has very real consequences on the daily 
lives of Americans. When we continue to fail to balance the budget, it 
means increasing inflation, higher interest rates, and uncertainty in 
the economy, which results in less business investment and fewer jobs.
  This is not an academic discussion. It is not a partisan discussion. 
It is about the future of our Nation. We were not elected to ignore 
these problems but rather to confront them. Congress can and should do 
what Kansans do: Make decisions based on solid values and be held 
accountable for those decisions.
  A few weeks ago, the International Monetary Fund issued a report 
outlining how serious our financial situation has become. America 
wasn't the only country that came under scrutiny by the IMF. Japan has 
also fallen behind in its deficit goals. To make matters worse, 
Standard & Poor's downgraded Japan's credit rating out of concern for 
the country's ability to tackle their debt. If we do not face realities 
and take serious steps now to confront this challenge, we will find 
ourselves in a similar position. The impact will be disastrous, as it 
has been in Greece and Portugal and Ireland.
  Unfortunately, this reality has not yet sunk in in enough places here 
in Washington, DC. President Obama asked Congress to increase the debt 
ceiling--allowing our country to take on even more debt. But it would 
be irresponsible to allow more spending without a serious plan in place 
to reduce the deficit. Americans are looking for leadership in 
Washington to help create jobs and get our economy back on its feet. 
But lately, all they have heard is a lot of partisan rhetoric, and all 
they have seen is more government spending.
  It is time for our government to change direction and to change 
dramatically. We must work together to restrain spending and to put in 
place progrowth measures that create jobs by saying both no to more 
spending and yes to projobs measures. By saying both no to more 
spending and yes to projobs measures, we will reduce the uncertainty in 
the marketplace, encourage business investment, become more competitive 
in the global economy, and--most importantly--create employment.
  The best way to get our spending under control is to get a budget and 
stick to it. One of the basic responsibilities of Congress is to 
produce an annual budget, yet we are once again operating under a 
temporary spending measure called a continuing resolution because the 
Democratic leadership failed to pass a budget plan last year. Congress 
has taken virtually no step to address this deficit spending. We have 
to come together and see that we do so, and we must pass a commonsense 
budget that reduces our deficit this year, next year, and well into the 
future.
  Last month, President Obama sent his 2012 budget message to Congress. 
Instead of moving toward fiscal responsibility, the proposal contains 
more of the same borrow-and-spend mentality. It proposes $8.7 trillion 
in new spending, $1.6 trillion in new taxes, and doubles the national 
debt by the end of his 4-year term. At no point during the President's 
10-year budget projection would our government spend less than it is 
taking in.
  Rather than spend more, we must close the gap between what the 
government takes in and what it spends. Last month, I introduced the 
RESET Act to rescind $45 billion in unspent stimulus funds and direct 
those dollars toward paying down the deficit.
  Another commonsense measure I have long supported is a constitutional 
amendment to require a balanced budget. Unfortunately, when Members of 
Congress are not required to prioritize their spending, they simply 
borrow more over a long period of time. This proposal--this 
constitutional amendment--would limit Federal spending to 20 percent of 
gross domestic product and require a two-thirds majority of Congress to 
raise the taxes. By forcing Congress to be disciplined, to live within 
a budget, we will turn away from record deficits and back to fiscal 
responsibility.
  In addition to living by a responsible budget, we must also address 
our long-term unfunded liabilities, including Social Security, 
Medicare, and Medicaid. Last year, mandatory spending made up 56 
percent of our entire budget. This percentage will only increase in the 
years ahead as more Americans retire and fewer workers are there to 
replace them. Already, Social Security pays out more than it collects 
and its total

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debt will increase over $\1/2\ trillion in the next 10 years. Medicaid 
spending consumes nearly a quarter of State budgets and will further 
burden States that are now required to pay for the vast Medicaid 
expansion found in the recent health care reform law. Furthermore, 
Medicare's unfunded liabilities are $37 trillion. This staggering sum 
is nearly three times the amount of our current national debt.
  This challenge cannot be ignored any longer. We must pursue change 
and reform, but it will take the leadership of President Obama and the 
willingness of both political parties. We are ready to have that 
conversation with the President and we expect his leadership.
  Finally, history shows economic growth starts with the private 
sector, so Congress must create an environment where entrepreneurship 
and business can flourish. Small businesses are the backbone of the 
American economy and have generated 65 percent of the new jobs over the 
last two decades. They also employ half our private-sector workers. 
Clearly, small business is the engine of job creation and critical to 
our country's economic success.
  As I tour plants in Kansas, business owners say: What next? What next 
harmful thing is Washington, DC, going to do that puts me out of 
business? For too long, Washington has increased the regulatory and tax 
burden on businesses at the expense of jobs. Mountains of government 
regulations and higher taxes are undercutting any efforts to create 
jobs and erodes our global competitiveness, especially in the 
manufacturing, agricultural, and energy sectors. Rather than hiring new 
workers, businesses are spending their resources on complying with 
ever-changing regulations and increased taxes or, worse, those 
businesses are leaving our country.
  We need to be doing all we can to put people back to work and grow 
the economy, and that includes replacing our convoluted Tax Code and 
eliminating bureaucratic intrusion into our free market economy.
  Maintaining a strong business environment at home must be coupled 
with opening new foreign markets for American goods and agricultural 
commodities around the world. In today's global economy, we cannot 
afford to sit on the sidelines while other countries move forward. Each 
day that passes, we risk losing more of our markets and our market 
share to competing nations.
  Across our country, thousands of Americans depend upon exports for 
jobs, including more than one-fourth of all manufacturing workers in 
Kansas. By increasing our Nation's exports, we will create jobs and 
opportunities for all Americans, without raising taxes or increasing 
the Federal budget. While our Nation's unemployment rate hovers between 
9 and 10 percent, it is simply inexcusable to not do what we know we 
can do that will create jobs in America.
  One commonsense way to open more markets is to pass trade agreements 
with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, which have been stalled in 
Congress. While Congress dithers, Colombia has moved forward on trade 
deals with Canada, Chile, the EU, Brazil, and Argentina--to name a few 
of our competitors. Comparably, tariffs have caused American farmers to 
lose nearly 20 percent of total agricultural markets in Colombia over 
the last 5 years. It is past time to pass these trade agreements and 
create more markets and, therefore, more jobs for Americans.
  For the United States to remain competitive in a global market, 
Congress must also develop a comprehensive energy policy that allows 
for an ample energy supply which is both affordable and reliable. 
Rising gas prices and recent events in the Middle East have 
demonstrated once again the importance of having access to a reliable 
energy supply. No simple form of energy can provide the answer. To meet 
our country's energy needs we must develop traditional sources of oil, 
natural gas, and coal, encourage the development of renewable energy 
sources such as biofuels, wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower, 
expand the use of nuclear energy, and encourage conservation.
  Lastly, we need to repeal the flawed health care law and replace it 
with commonsense changes that reduce increasing costs and promote 
choice in our health care system, such as increasing competition in the 
insurance market, giving States the flexibility to address the health 
needs of their unique populations, enacting medical liability reform, 
and enabling small businesses to pool together to offer coverage at 
lower prices. These ideas have bipartisan support and are backed by the 
American people because we know they will work.
  Congress should be an ally of the people, not an adversary. Congress 
has a responsibility to create an environment where the free market can 
succeed, so business can move forward with confidence and start 
creating jobs again.
  In Washington, DC, it is often easy to forget what is most important 
in the midst of all the talk of partisan politics, the next election or 
the latest poll. When I need a reminder, I will talk a walk--and I will 
walk from this magnificent Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. Between 
those two points, I pass the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, 
and on the way back I will walk by the Korean War Memorial. These 
memorials to our citizen soldiers help put everything in its proper 
perspective. Our freedoms are so important that our Nation's sons and 
daughters were willing to risk their lives to defend and protect them. 
These brave men and women didn't sacrifice for Republicans or 
Democrats; they gave their lives for the greater good of our country 
and to ensure their children and grandchildren would also experience 
American freedom and liberty.
  We have before us an opportunity--an opportunity to set aside the 
game of politics and to work together to confront the enormous 
challenges before us. Whether we have the courage to tackle our fiscal 
crisis now will determine the course of our country's future for the 
next generation.
  I stand ready to work with my colleagues in this chamber to do what 
it takes to get our economy back on track. Americans are known for 
their enterprising spirit and strong resolve, and our country will 
recover when we begin to live within our means and create a pro-growth 
business and jobs environment.
  Last month, we recognized the 100th anniversary of President Ronald 
Reagan's birth. It was a fitting time for all Americans to honor the 
memory of a man whose leadership guided our country through many 
challenges. Our 40th President believed in the greatness of America. He 
believed in the principles of individual liberty, self-government and 
free enterprise. And he believed there ``are no limits to growth and 
human progress when men and women are free to follow their dreams.''
  It is with that same optimism and hope for the future that I stand 
before you today. I didn't come to Washington for personal glory. I 
came to Washington because I believe we have the responsibility to be 
good stewards of what we have been given and to pass on to the next 
generation the life we love and lead. We know what American can and 
should look like.
  When I took the oath of office, I pledged to support and defend the 
United States Constitution and to faithfully fulfill the duties of this 
office--so help me God. I will continue to seek His help and His 
guidance in the days ahead, knowing that in Him all things are 
possible.
  As I humbly begin my new responsibilities, I remain committed to 
leading with Kansas common sense, and to making the tough choices 
necessary today, so that tomorrow--and every day thereafter--our 
children and grandchildren can live in an America that provides them 
the opportunity to dream big and pursue those dreams.
  If I am successful, I will have fulfilled my responsibilities. If I 
am successful, I will have fulfilled my responsibilities as a parent, 
just like my mom and dad, and as an American who believes our country's 
better and brighter days lie ahead.
  I yield the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown of Ohio). The Republican leader is 
recognized.

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  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I congratulate our new Senator from 
Kansas for his inspiring first speech to his colleagues and suggest 
that it seems we have a new Senator from Kansas in the tradition of Bob 
Dole and Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, and I congratulate our new 
colleague on a fine and inspirational first speech.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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