Providing for Consideration of H. Con. Res. 376, Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2007
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. CON. RES. 376, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007 -- (House of Representatives - April 06, 2006)
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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my friend from Florida and the Rules Committee, Mr. Putnam, the chairman of our policy committee here in the House Republican Conference.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the rule for this budget resolution, which strikes a delicate balance between fully funding our priorities and exercising restraint of spending.
Mr. Speaker, already we have heard the debate and the dialogue here. I have known this a long time. Every Member of Congress understands this: needs outpace resources. It has always been that way. That is why we have a Budget Committee. That is why we have Mr. Putnam here on the floor today and other Members who are going to say, golly, we could spend as much money as we really wanted if we could come to some resolution of how much was enough. But the fact of the matter is that the insatiable appetites that continue to be fed in this House and in this government for more and more and more spending will not be ever satisfied; so we have to strike that balance.
We know that we have had devastating challenges that have faced this country, terrorists attacks of 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and yet our economy has demonstrated strength and resiliency. It is Republicans who come to the floor of the House of Representatives in the majority and every year defend what we do. And, Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you that I am proud of what we did last year for this year and what we are doing proudly to make sure next year will work properly, we are doing this year.
This last year our economy grew at an impressive rate of 3.5 percent. The greatest, most vibrant economy that is in the world that we know today from a G-8 country. This was no accident, but it came as the direct result of Congress's planning, planning for growth and tax relief, planning for giving Americans more of their own money, and planning to make sure that we had investment that was made here in America.
Since comprehensive tax relief was passed in 2003, 5 million new jobs have been created. At just 4.8 percent, the unemployment rate remains at the historically low figure, below the averages of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. This rapid economic growth has also generated rapid Federal tax growth.
We are pro-growth Republicans. We do not want to run a deficit. But we must make sure that we look at both sides of the equation, that is, growing the economy as well as being careful by what we spend.
Treasury figures show our booming tax receipts grew by 14.5 percent in 2005, the fastest pace in 25 years. However, on the flip side, Mr. Speaker, since 2001 our government has expanded in spending by 45 percent. We are saying with last year's budget this spending spree has got to end. And that is what we did last year for this year and what we are going to do this year for next year.
Jim Nussle, the chairman of the Budget Committee, has led this House to an important conclusion, and that is what Mr. Putnam is here selling to the Members today, and that is we are not about politics in this budget. It is about structure. It is about saying how much money we are going to make available and then we are going to let other important committees, our appropriators, be able to understand where the present needs are, and then we are going to give them the authority to go and spend the money based on priorities.
This is the right way to run the railroad, Mr. Speaker. This is the right way to do things. But we must have the responsibility by passing a responsible bill, or this House will fall to the whims of every single person who wants their own special project to be passed. Spending will be out of control.
So I urge my colleagues to recognize and understand that the process that the Budget Committee has been going through has been very important, and it has produced a winner. It has produced the ability that we have in a framework to put the needs and priorities into balance for this United States Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what we have done. I am proud of what Mr. Putnam supports today. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the budget.
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