[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4359]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               THE RYAN BUDGET AND THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Nunnelee) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, this is an important week for the future 
of our Republic. In this Capitol, we are debating and voting on 
budgets, laying out our visions for how we should handle the spending, 
taxing, and debt issues facing America in the coming years. Across the 
street at the Supreme Court, they're debating what, if any, limits can 
be placed on the Federal Government's power to regulate under the 
Commerce Clause of our Constitution.
  But, really, we're talking about the same thing: Do we still live 
under a Federal Government of limited and enumerated powers? Do we 
believe that the source of our government begins in ``We the people''? 
Do we believe in liberty? Do we trust people to make their own 
decisions about their own lives without reliance on, or subservience 
to, an all-knowing and all-powerful central government in Washington? 
Are there limits on what Washington can demand of the citizens that 
it's supposed to be serving? Republicans believe that the answer to 
these questions is a resounding ``yes.''
  The budget put forth by Chairman Ryan and the Budget Committee shows 
that it is possible for this Congress to offer solutions to the 
challenges of the modern world that are rooted in limited government, 
individual freedom, and the Constitution. It is our responsibility to 
govern and to offer the people an alternative to the do-nothing 
attitude of the Senate Democrat leadership or the business-as-usual, 
tax-spend-and-borrow budget offered by the President.
  The arguments being made by the plaintiffs against the individual 
mandate are that the Constitution is not dead, that at least one party 
in Washington and a majority of the country still believe that the 
Constitution means what it says, and that there are limits on the power 
of Congress and of the executive branch.
  I'm energized and hopeful for the future of this great Republic as I 
see these events unfold this week, and I'm reminded of the observation 
of President Reagan:

       I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not 
     free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and 
     effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of 
     physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.

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