Proposing An Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Requiring A Balanced Budget for the Federal Government

Floor Speech

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Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, welcome to bankruptcy theater.

Mr. Speaker, I am fascinated by my good friend on the other side of the aisle telling me that they are the party of fiscal responsibility. Let me just say, as others have said, including the former majority leader, that this is an institutional problem because it is, indeed, that.

Let me just make clear to the American people when they say there is not a dime's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats on spending, to a certain extent they are right. However, the Republicans are using a handcart on this railroad and the Democrats are on some kind of bullet train on this train to hell.

As much as we have spent, and there are many in this room who have fought against this spending, I can't imagine how much worse it would be if we had to go to the Democrats for a vote. That is the problem.

Mr. Speaker, some say that, well, it is never going to become law. Why will it never become law, Mr. Chairman? There are seven Democrats in the Senate that refuse to vote to balance the budget ever. It is going to pass here maybe, but it definitely won't pass there. That is why it will never become law.

All the people I know that I represent have to balance their budget. I will say I went to the President. I said: Mr. President, we are spending too much money. You ran on cutting spending. I ran on cutting spending. We are spending too much money.

He said to me: You are right, Scott; but I can't get them to vote for less.

He is right about that. My Democrat colleagues tax and spend and tax and spend, and our folks are willing to spend without taxing enough. I am not saying that we should tax more. The American people are taxed enough, plenty. We are overspending and continuing to overspend. When I got here, I think the individual debt per person was like about $40,000. What is it now, $130,000?

Mr. Speaker, this place cannot control itself. The American people are going to have to step in. This allows them the opportunity. We ought to give it to them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for offering the amendment. I thank leadership for honoring their promise.

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