[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 13014-13015]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                        OUT-OF-CONTROL SPENDING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Byrne) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to talk about one of the 
biggest problems facing our Nation, out-of-control spending.
  At this very moment, the national debt sits at over $18 trillion. We 
have not arrived at this point because of the actions of one party or 
of one administration. Over the years, both parties have enacted 
programs that have increased our debt.
  That said, we have reached a point at which we must get serious about 
reining in our out-of-control spending, or we may fall victim to a 
similar fate that many nations throughout history have experienced.
  Here in the U.S., our spending problems are reaching a crisis level, 
and we are effectively leaving behind a catastrophe for the next 
generation. The basis of the American Dream is that, if you work hard, 
you can leave behind a better future for your children and 
grandchildren. That fundamentally American vision is in jeopardy due, 
in part, to our irresponsible spending.
  I am a new and very proud grandfather. My grandson, MacGuire, is 
about to turn 1, and already, his share of the national debt before his 
first birthday is over $40,000. We cannot turn a blind eye to this 
problem and pretend that it will just get better. Let me explain why.
  There are two basic forms of Federal spending, mandatory spending and 
discretionary spending.

[[Page 13015]]

  Mr. Speaker, when most people think of the Federal Government, they 
are probably thinking about discretionary programs, which is money that 
goes to things like our military, highways, national parks, 
agriculture, and medical research.
  The good thing about discretionary spending is that, each year, 
Congress has the ability to control these spending levels through the 
appropriations process. Since Republicans took control of the House in 
2010, we have had some success in cutting funding to various Federal 
agencies. For example, agencies like the IRS and the EPA have seen 
their budgets cut in response to egregious executive overreach.
  While it may seem like it covers the majority of government 
operations, discretionary spending actually only makes up about one-
third of all Federal spending.
  The other portion of spending is what we call mandatory spending. 
This, along with the interest on the national debt, makes up almost 
two-thirds of all Federal spending.
  Now, here is the really bad part about mandatory spending: it is on 
autopilot. Unlike discretionary spending, mandatory spending does not 
require annual appropriations from Congress. Instead, as long as 
someone meets the requirements, these programs dole out money without 
any action from Congress. Within these mandatory spending programs are 
what we call ``means-based entitlement programs,'' including things 
like Medicaid, ObamaCare, food stamps, welfare, and the like.
  For example, in fiscal year 2012, the Federal Government spent almost 
$800 billion on over 92 programs that were aimed at lifting Americans 
out of poverty. Despite that record spending, too many Americans simply 
stopped looking for work. The system is failing the very people it was 
designed to help.
  While many of these means-based entitlement programs have good 
intentions, they aren't supposed to be permanent. These programs were 
created to help lift people out of poverty, not to keep them there. 
That is why it shouldn't be a surprise that, during the recent economic 
downturn, spending on these means-based entitlement programs ballooned.
  What is surprising, however, is that, as the economy has improved, 
the spending on these programs has not gone down. In fact, the spending 
on some of these programs remains at alltime highs.
  Now, Republicans and Democrats both agree that Americans shouldn't be 
stuck in poverty, and that is why we should put party politics aside 
and come together to address this dangerous cycle of government 
dependence.
  We need to reform these means-based programs to put a real focus on 
workforce training to help connect Americans with the skills they need 
to get good-paying jobs that meet workforce demands.
  We could block grant, through the appropriations process, money to 
State governments and allow them to craft poverty fighting programs 
based on each State's specific societal programs and economic needs.
  I know that reforming these mandatory spending programs won't be 
easy, but I didn't run for Congress to come here and make easy 
decisions. I doubt my colleagues did either.
  Before I leave this body, I want to be able to look at my grandson, 
MacGuire, and know that I have been part of a real effort to rein in 
spending and put our Nation on a fiscally stable path for the next 
generation.
  Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to join me in addressing our 
Nation's spending crisis. Let's come together and make the tough 
choices. Let's get our spending under control, and let's leave behind a 
better America for the next generation.

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