[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5445-5446]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE PENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this House is at an historic moment because 
we look at a possible shutdown of government, a shutdown of government 
that you have to look and ask: Why may it occur? It's going to occur 
because we don't have a budget. And why don't we have a budget? Because 
we've got a great deficit. Why do we have that great deficit? Because 
the Bush tax cuts got rid of the Clinton excess we had.
  During Clinton's days, we had extra money. We balanced the budget. 
The Bush years: a deficit for the tax cuts, which have been extended 
with the majority of the Republicans and some Democrats, and two wars 
overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan that were off budget. And they have 
cost us much.
  In the future, we are going to see a political Armageddon here about 
this continuing resolution and the budget

[[Page 5446]]

of this country. And the issue is going to be whether we deal with the 
superrich or we guarantee America's past and care for everybody to have 
opportunity and a chance; whether we care about the oil companies that 
make record profits and give them continued deductions or whether we 
care about people that need education and health care. Medicare is at 
risk, Social Security will be at risk, and there's no jobs plan been 
put forward by this Congress.
  And that's just the way it is.

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