[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3434-3435]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           A BALANCED BUDGET

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, the only way to get our 
economy growing stronger is to take an honest account of the fiscal

[[Page 3435]]

problems we face and put forward serious policies to address these 
challenges--it is called budgeting.
  A fundamental part of governing entails writing and passing a budget, 
something we have not seen from the Senate Chamber in over 4 years. 
Four years, that's how long my constituents and Americans across this 
country have had to wait for the Senate to perform its most basic 
function as a legislative body.
  Before today, the only thing certain was that the Senate would not 
consider a budget. Today, the Senate Democrats introduced a budget, and 
I'm glad they did. It's about time. Unfortunately, after reviewing 
their proposal, today the only thing certain is that their budget will 
never balance.
  We owe the American people a responsible, balanced budget. The House 
budget introduced yesterday balances the budget in 10 years. The Senate 
Democrats' proposal never balances--ever.
  A balanced budget will foster a healthier economy and create jobs, 
Madam Speaker. The American people elected us to lead and put forward 
solutions, not hide from challenges and posture for the next election.

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