[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         LET THE STATES DECIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Pence) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, our Nation is facing a fiscal crisis of 
unprecedented proportions. We have a $14 trillion national debt, a 
$1.65 trillion annual spending deficit, and we borrow 42 cents for 
every dollar we spend.
  After years of borrowing and spending and bailouts by both political 
parties, now comes a national debate over raising the Nation's debt 
limit. Now look, I believe if you owe debts, pay debts. We must honor 
the full faith and credit of the United States of America. But I also 
believe that now is the moment to take decisive action to put our 
fiscal house in order and restore the full confidence of the American 
people in the fiscal integrity of our national government.
  I believe our debt limit should not be raised without real and 
meaningful reforms in the way the Federal Government spends the 
people's money in the short term and the long term. In the short term, 
we need to cut spending now and implement statutory caps on how much 
money the Federal Government can spend going forward. But in the long 
term, the time has come for this Congress to send to the States a 
balanced budget amendment to the Constitution that will limit Federal 
spending and require this national government to live within our means.
  While the debate, it seems, according to the newspapers today, has 
focused on spending cuts versus tax increases, the real answer is to 
cut spending now and to make any increase in the Nation's debt ceiling 
contingent on Congress sending to the States a balanced budget 
amendment that limits Federal spending to one-fifth of the American 
economy. In short, it's time to let the States decide.
  Article V of the Constitution provides a process that requires any 
amendment to pass the House of Representatives and the Senate by a two-
thirds vote, but ultimately any amendment to the Constitution is 
submitted to the States. The States decide whether to amend the 
national charter. If three-fourths of the States agree, the 
Constitution is so amended.
  By demanding spending cuts today and sending a balanced budget 
amendment to the States, we will let the States decide. And I have 
every confidence that these United States will choose fiscal discipline 
and reform. Thirty-two of our 50 States operate under a balanced budget 
requirement in their State constitution, and 49 have some sort of 
balanced budget requirement. In Indiana, our State had a prohibition 
against assuming debt in our State constitution since 1851, and the 
Hoosier State has a balanced budget and even a surplus rainy day fund.
  After years of fighting runaway Federal spending by both political 
parties here in Washington, D.C., I can tell you we need more 
accountability, we need more engagement of the States and the American 
people. And if you think about it, as Ronald Reagan said, it's 
important to remember that the States created the Federal Government; 
the Federal Government didn't create the States.
  By engaging in a process where we demand serious and meaningful 
spending cuts today, capping spending going forward, but requiring that 
any increase in the debt ceiling be contingent on sending to the States 
a balanced budget amendment with real spending limits in it, we will 
build on the wisdom and the foundation of our Founders and our system 
of Federalism.
  Mr. President, if you need more borrowing authority, let's cut 
spending now, let's cap spending tomorrow, and let's let the States 
decide whether we should permanently require that our national 
government live within our means. By enacting a balanced budget 
amendment that limits Federal spending and requires that our national 
government live out our own commitment of fiscal responsibility and 
reform, we will do right by this day, we will do right by our children 
and grandchildren, and we will do something worthy to be remembered in 
this time.

                          ____________________