[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 605-606]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             THE DEBT LIMIT

  Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I rise today to, No. 1, welcome you 
and welcome all of the other new Senators who have just joined this 
historic body.
  Along with the rest of us, you have all watched the difficult 
negotiations over the fiscal cliff that dominated the last few weeks of 
the 112th Congress. That debate was an important opportunity to talk to 
the American people about Washington's addiction to spending. We made 
clear in that debate that no amount of tax increases--no amount--would 
come close to wiping out Washington's debt. So as we begin the 113th 
Congress, we are faced with fresh opportunities to continue that 
conversation with the American people.
  This time the debate is over whether to raise the Nation's debt 
limit. Last week, the President opened negotiations on this important 
issue by saying that he wouldn't negotiate. He did not announce this by 
calling the Republicans in Congress; he did it, instead, by calling a 
press conference.
  In the last days of 2012, President Obama, in my opinion, failed to 
lead in the talks over avoiding the fiscal cliff. Now the President 
plans not to lead on the Nation's debt limit either. Whether the 
President leads, follows, or just gets out of the way, Washington needs 
real budget reform. We can't continue President Obama's pattern of 
untold trillions of dollars in wasteful government spending.
  Over the past 4 years, President Obama has added so much to our 
national debt that he has already had to increase our Nation's debt 
limit four separate times. This includes the two largest increases in 
our history. No other President of the United States has needed an 
increase of over $1 trillion. President Obama has asked for that much 
twice. While he once promised to cut the deficit in half by now, he has 
done just the opposite. He has added as much debt in 4 years as all the 
previous Presidents racked up in our country's first 225 years.
  President Obama has maxed out the national credit card and now he 
wants a new one. In return, the President isn't willing to offer any 
commitments that he will try to be more responsible with that next 
credit card. In fact, under his latest budget, the President wants to 
add another $6.4 trillion to our debt over the next 5 years. That is 
the wrong direction for our Federal budget and for the Nation's future.
  The President could take this opportunity to reassure hardworking 
American taxpayers, as well as world financial markets, that he is 
finally serious about reining in Washington's out-of-control spending. 
Instead, he has chosen to try to score political points.
  This isn't the first time the President has voiced an opinion on the 
debt limit debate. Last December, he spoke on this subject as he, in my 
opinion, misrepresented decades of precedence regarding congressional 
consideration of the debt limit. He said that connecting debt ceiling 
votes and budget negotiations--connecting debt ceiling votes and budget 
negotiations--was something that ``we had never done in our history 
until we did it last year.''
  That statement is false. Frankly, we should be talking about 
responsible spending reform every time we debate any measure in 
Congress that involves spending money. We should certainly do it when 
we are debating borrowing more money.
  The debt limit has been used at least 20 times in the past 60 years 
specifically tied to debating fiscal reform. For example, in 1954, 
Congress passed a temporary increase specifically as a way to control 
future finances. In 1967, the House actually defeated a debt limit 
increase so that it could force

[[Page 606]]

President Johnson to quit using some of the budget tricks he had been 
using. In 1970, the debate over the debt limit included amendments to 
cut defense spending, imposing a spending cap, and freezing 
congressional pay until Congress passed a balanced budget.
  In 1983, Congress actually defeated a debt limit increase bill. 
Senator Russell Long, a Democrat, told his colleagues if they voted for 
the increase, ``you are voting to continue the biggest deficits in the 
history of this country as far as the eye can see.''
  Incidentally, the debt at that time was $1.3 trillion. That is about 
how much we have added to our debt every year since President Obama was 
sworn in for the first time. Democrats balked at Washington having a 
debt over $1.3 trillion back then. Today, the President says 
Republicans are doing something irresponsible for even wanting to talk 
about a debt of more than $16.4 trillion.
  I could go on and on with more examples, but I think you have the 
idea. The President says it is unprecedented for us to even ask to have 
this debate. Well, the President is not correct. It is not 
unprecedented. It is actually very common and absolutely appropriate.
  There is nobody on the Republican side of the aisle here in the 
Senate who is saying we should not pay our bills. There is also nobody 
on this side of the aisle who thinks we should keep wasting taxpayer 
dollars without even trying to act responsibly and slow down 
Washington's spending. Yes, the debt limit is about paying for past 
obligations, but our history shows the debate over the debt limit is an 
absolutely appropriate time to talk about reforming Washington's future 
spending.
  President Obama agreed to spending cuts the last time he asked for an 
increase in the debt limit. Now the President says he wants his credit 
limit increased without any effort to reduce future spending. And, of 
course, we all remember when he was a Senator he spoke out against 
raising the debt limit. He once called the need to increase the debt 
limit ``a failure of leadership.'' But that was then. This is now.
  The White House has floated gimmicks such as issuing a $1 trillion 
coin or using the 14th amendment to raise the debt limit without 
congressional approval. And now the President won't negotiate 
responsible spending at all. His policies--his policies of the past 4 
years--have buried our children and our grandchildren under a mountain 
of debt. America needs real budget reform, but President Obama insists 
on playing politics with our country's credit rating. Hard-working 
American taxpayers have to balance their budgets. They understand what 
the President does not.
  The President bragged in his press conference last week that ``it's 
been a busy and productive 4 years, and I expect the same for the next 
4 years.'' Well, it looks like he means we can count on 4 more years of 
wasteful Washington spending.
  This has to stop. It is time for President Obama to finally keep his 
promise to get America's finances in order.
  Madam President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Warren). The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Murphy). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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