[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11383]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         CUT, CAP, AND BALANCE

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the 
drastic cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and other crucial Federal 
programs that passage of the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act would force upon 
the American people. The Cut, Cap, and Balance Act takes our Nation 
closer to default by holding the debt ceiling hostage until Congress 
passes a constitutional amendment to limit total Federal spending to 18 
percent of our gross domestic product.
  The last time Federal spending was below 18 percent of the gross 
domestic product was 1966, when the median age was nearly 8 years 
younger and the average cost of health care was one-fifth of what it is 
today. Even under President Ronald Reagan, Federal spending averaged 
over 22 percent of gross national product. Though this legislation may 
claim to exempt many Federal programs from its spending limitations, 
there is almost no possible way to revert Federal spending back to 
1960s levels without sharp cuts to every program, including Social 
Security and Medicare. Even the FY 2012 budget that the House 
Republican majority passed in April, which would dismantle Medicare as 
we know it, allowed for Federal spending to be above 20 percent of the 
gross domestic product.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides to vote to support America's 
retirees, veterans, and children and oppose this dangerous legislation.

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