[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8548-8549]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              DEBT CEILING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the House overwhelmingly 
defeated by a vote of 318-97 a blank check on spending. We stopped the 
unconditional raising of the debt ceiling. The fact remains, we are in 
a debt crisis because Washington spends too much, not because it taxes 
too little.
  America is drowning in debt, and we need to significantly reduce 
spending and make long-term reforms that encourage private sector job 
creation and move toward a balanced budget. Raising the debt limit 
without restoring financial accountability was unacceptable, and that's 
why I voted against this irresponsible debt limit increase.
  I can't comprehend why this administration continues to push the same 
dangerous failed strategy that got us into this economic mess. The 
failure to increase the debt limit on the floor Tuesday would be enough 
evidence for the White House and Washington Democrats to conclude that 
Americans want Washington to stop signing a blank check, spending money 
we don't have and sending the bill to our children and our 
grandchildren--grandchildren that I personally have an opportunity 
every time I open my BlackBerry to see their faces and be reminded that 
it's for them that I speak and this House spoke on Tuesday evening.
  Yet more than 100 House Democrats signed on to a letter publicly 
advocating for a debt limit increase without

[[Page 8549]]

spending cuts and reforms. And unfortunately after meeting with the 
President yesterday, I'm not sure he's heard the people on this issue 
either.
  According to the latest evidence, only 11 percent of Americans 
support a blank check raising of the debt limit and more spending. This 
vote demonstrates that President Obama and the House Democrats are far 
out of step with the rest of America and should join House Republicans 
in working to cut spending. The American people have said ``no'' to the 
Democrats and they're not going to take it anymore, not another blank 
check of more spending and more debt for the Obama administration.
  It's the time now to think of the next generation and not the next 
election and take time to rip up a blank check of defeat for our 
country.

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