The Official Truth Squad

THE OFFICIAL TRUTH SQUAD -- (House of Representatives - February 15, 2006)

02/15/06

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) very much for inaugurating the Truth Squad here tonight. I think it is high time that many of us came here to the well and shared the truth against many of the negative things that have been said night after night after night on this floor.

I am very positive about our country. It is the greatest country in the world, and it is the only place I know of where people are dying to get into. We need to make sure that the positive things about this country are talked about.

I want to talk a little bit tonight about the important role this Congress is going to continue to play in balancing our budget by spending our constituents' money wisely and by putting our national priorities in order. I also am looking forward to exposing this hypocrisy that has been exhibited here night after night by people who are quick to lament our Nation's problems but unwilling to take positive action towards solutions.

The Congress must become a better steward of the taxpayers' dollars, and we must do it now. Our constituents deserve to send less of their hard-earned dollars to Washington and spend more on their families, businesses, and dreams. By cutting spending and cutting taxes, we will allow citizens to have more time with their families because they will not be having to work so much. Our constituents meticulously budget their dollars at their kitchen tables, and we owe it to them to do the same thing here in Washington. It is their dollars we spend, not ours.

Cutting Federal spending is not an easy thing to do. We have seen this even as freshmen. However, it is the right thing to do, and my colleagues who join me here tonight recognize this important distinction and important responsibility to do what is right over what is easy.

We had the chance recently to slow the growth of Federal spending, and I am proud that this House did the right thing by passing the Deficit Reduction Act. However, those very same Democrats who come here night after night and complain about the deficit were unwilling to roll up their sleeves and get to work to actually solve the problem. They had their chance to contribute to a solution with the Deficit Reduction Act, but they took the easy way out by voting against the bill. The Deficit Reduction Act is one of the long-term solutions for the future that we are supporting.

It is easy to hand out money willy-nilly. However, it is not easy to find areas to reduce chronic spending; but reduce Federal spending we must, and we must demand more accountability for that spending.

My constituents work hard, and more of them are working than ever before. More people are working all over this country than ever before. They have adapted to our changing economy; and as a result of sound economic policy, more of them are in good jobs than ever before. We have reduced the tax burden on American workers and small businesses, and our economy is strong.

The money coming into the Federal Government has increased dramatically; but, unfortunately, the money we spend has increased dramatically, also. It is the taxpayers' money we spend; and we must be responsible, meticulous, frugal and effective in the ways the Federal Government spends this money.

As this Congress takes up the fiscal year 2007 budget, I hope my colleagues will maintain that mentality. We have made great progress with the Deficit Reduction Act, but we must do much more to transition from deficit reduction to deficit elimination.

I also call on the Democrats to contribute to the solution and to do the right thing by finding commonsense ways to reduce Federal spending. While we are here tonight to expose some blatant hypocrisy by the quick-to-complain Democrats, I would also like to invite them to start doing the right thing. I would love to see some Democrats join us in calling for reduced spending. I would love to see them back it up with a vote for reduced spending. It is not the easy thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.

It is unfair to leave our children and grandchildren with massive debts resulting from overspending. The President's budget is a further attempt to help spare younger generations from debts that they do not deserve, but we must keep making progress with what the President outlined.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues for joining me tonight in highlighting this important issue. I am really proud to be a part of the Truth Squad, made up only of House Republicans; and I would like to reiterate my hope that Democrats will join us in doing the right thing, however difficult, by slowing Federal spending. I look forward to working with them to restore fiscal accountability and restraint so we can continue to trim and soon eliminate the Federal deficit.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Price for hosting this hour, and I am looking forward to many more evenings of our presenting to the American people the facts about our economy.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov