[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15617]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   BIPARTISANSHIP STARTS WITH A TALK

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, in 2006, then-Senator Barack Obama decried a 
proposed debt ceiling increase as a ``sign of leadership failure'' and 
then voted against raising the debt limit. Two years later, Candidate 
Obama referred to the $4 trillion debt accrued by his predecessor as 
``irresponsible'' and ``unpatriotic.'' $6.1 trillion and 4\1/2\ years 
later, he is demanding that Congress raise the debt ceiling without so 
much as a conversation as to what we can do to get control of spending 
and leave less debt to our kids and grandkids.
  This seems less than responsible to me. To have any hope of solving 
the challenges before us, leaders have to be willing to work together. 
So let's defend our credit rating by getting control over our bills and 
strengthening our fiscal foundation.
  Whether the challenge is ending the shutdown or confronting our debt, 
divided government demands bipartisan solutions, and finding bipartisan 
agreement starts by sitting down to talk.

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