[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 261]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1220
                                 BUDGET

  (Mr. BILIRAKIS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to speak about something 
that is nearly 3 years in the making. Some 1,000 days ago, in April of 
2009, the Senate passed a budget, and that's the last time we've seen 
any attempt from them to set Washington's agenda and rein in government 
spending.
  Without a budget, how can government set its priorities? Without 
priorities, how can American citizens have any confidence in how their 
tax dollars are being used? The short answer is they can't.
  With a $15 trillion debt, the United States faces its greatest fiscal 
challenge in history. Washington must find a way to get its finances in 
order while preserving programs for our seniors, protecting our 
services for future generations, and providing our economy with the 
certainty to create much needed jobs in America.
  The House will soon pass a budget that does this, and I urge the 
President to call for action during tonight's State of the Union 
address.

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