[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10878]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        RAISING THE DEBT CEILING

  (Mr. WELCH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELCH. Madam Speaker, President Reagan is an iconic figure in the 
Republican Party and revered by many Democrats. He did fight to shrink 
government and he lowered taxes, but he also raised taxes eight times 
and he also fought against the absurd notion that America had an option 
when it came to paying our bills. When the debt ceiling had to be 
raised, he did it because he knew that was essential, that was our 
responsibility.
  We have got an argument on the other side today that paying our bills 
is optional. That is dangerous; that is absurd.
  There are two arguments the other side is making: One, that it's 
Obama's problem, despite the fact that they insisted on the Iraq war, 
the Afghanistan war, going into nation building, tax cuts that we can't 
afford, Medicare prescription part D. But, second--this is what's 
really not on the level--every single person who voted for the Ryan 
budget voted for a budget that will raise the debt from $14.3 trillion 
to $23 trillion. And after voting for that budget, now we will vote 
against raising the debt ceiling that is required to implement the 
budget that you voted for.

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