Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019
Floor Speech
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for the amendment.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is something that is important to us and to the nearly 10 million Tennessee Valley ratepayers that they serve each and every single day. As the gentleman said, something is not broken, so it does not need the Federal Government to come in and try to fix it.
Mr. Chair, I stand with the gentleman supporting the PMA's, the TVA, and those that are utilizers of this service.
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Mrs. BLACKBURN.
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, this is an amendment that I propose each and every year because I think this is something that is worthy of discussion.
We are facing $21 trillion in debt in this Nation. We have annual deficits that continue to climb. We have to look at how you are going to grow your way and cut your way out of this Nation's debt.
Now, we know that this appropriations bill is something that is at $44.75 billion. A lot of hard work by the members of the Appropriations Committee has gone into this. We appreciate that they have made an effort to keep the spending down, even some years they have been below the level that was actually enacted the previous year. This year that is not the case. They are a little bit above, but they are working diligently, and I am grateful for that.
I think we need to work a little bit harder, and that is why I bring this, a penny out of a dollar, one penny, making that type rescission in what we are spending, making certain that we are engaging rank-and- file Federal employees after they receive their appropriated funds, saying: ``Let's go back to the drawing board. Let's take one penny out of every dollar we spend.'' We are doing it for our children and our grandchildren, facing the fact that our Nation has a climbing debt.
Now, Admiral Mullen said July 6, 2010: ``The greatest threat to our Nation's security is our Nation's debt.''
This is an issue that deserves a better effort. We have given it good efforts. Let's give it a better effort and give it our best effort to get this spending under control.
The reason, with these discretionary funds, we say let's do it with across-the-board cuts is because across-the-board spending reductions work. It has been proven by many of our States, where Democratic and Republican Governors have made across-the-board reductions in order to get budgets in balance. It is done by cities; it is done by counties; it is done by the private sector; it is done by families.
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, when you talk about where you are looking for money, it is coming out of the hardworking taxpayers' pocket. And what they say is, ``Do something about the debt,'' because they are the ones who are footing the bill.
Now, it is easy for us to say, yes, the mandatory spending eats up most of the budget. That is very true. The chairman is correct on that. But is that a reason to not do something about discretionary? Absolutely not.
Should we continue to exercise the ability to find efficiencies, to try to do more with less? Absolutely, we should.
Should we make government more effective, more efficient, and more responsive? Should we utilize new technologies? Absolutely, we should, because every penny that we appropriate in this Chamber comes from the taxpayers of this Nation, who are working hard. They know government never runs out of an appetite for their money. They know that government is always going to ask for more. They are looking at the $21 trillion in debt.
Let's take these steps. Let's cut a penny out of a dollar and do it because we know this debt is going to land on the heads of our children and our grandchildren.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
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