[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17951]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1220
                            THE FISCAL CLIFF

  (Mr. BROUN of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we've reached the fiscal cliff not 
because we tax too little, but because we spend too much. We are 
focusing on whom to raise taxes and by how much. This debate really 
should be about outrageous spending.
  Many people believe that what's happening in Greece cannot happen in 
the United States. But think about it, Greece kept borrowing and 
spending until eventually they couldn't pay their public workers, take 
care of the elderly and the poor, or deliver any of the services they 
promised to its people. The United States is headed down the very same 
path.
  We'll be right back here having this same debate very soon if we 
don't cut spending. Instead of discussing taxing the top 2 percent, the 
next time it will be the top 50 percent, and so on, until we are all 
being taxed--everyone--but spending so much that we still cannot meet 
our obligations.
  This debate should be about spending, not taxes, so that we can give 
the American people what they want--a strong economy and a guarantee 
that programs like Social Security and Medicare will remain intact.

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