Ocean, Coastal, And Watershed Education Act

Floor Speech

Ocean, Coastal, And Watershed Education Act

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Mr. ELLISON. Let me thank the gentlewoman for her excellent work in the area of the environment, our oceans and our watersheds. But it seems like every conversation here is going to be about health care, so let's take that on.

The fact is, Madam Speaker, this bill that we'll vote on on Sunday cuts the deficit by $138 billion in the first 10 years. That level of deficit reduction is something the Democrats are known for and Republicans, unfortunately, have not been known for. We know that when the Democrats left office in 2000, we had a surplus, and then we quickly--based on tax cuts for the wealthy and unpaid-for wars and other things--we ran into a massive deficit. Quite frankly, if I was a Republican, I would be embarrassed to talk about deficits. But it seems like they're not.

So the fact is, we have to talk about the facts and straighten out the situation so that the American people will know that the fact is that that bill, this health care bill, cuts the deficit by $138 billion in the first 10 years, and cuts it by $1 trillion in the second 10 years. The fact is this bill is good for America. It is fiscally sound. It is paid for. It makes sense. And for any Republican to stand up here and talk about deficits and lecture on deficits, they really do need to review their history because they are the party of deficits. Democrats are the party of deficit reduction. Americans all over this country, some of whom have said that they're scared about the change that is about to come, their fear should be overcome by the good things that are in this bill.

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