Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1, Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, and Waiving Requirement of Clause 6(a) of Rule XIII with Respect to Consideration of Certain Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. SIMPSON. First, let's discuss the rule because we are here debating the rule.

Mr. Speaker, this is essentially an open rule. Yes, it does have a requirement for preprinting, but any Member can offer any amendment they want as long as they preprint it. Now, I understand my colleagues on the other side of the aisle might not like that. It's kind of foreign to them. For the last 4 years, we've had rules come to the floor that were closed. Members didn't have an opportunity to amend them. In fact, if we were under the previous leadership, what we would have here is a closed rule, an hour's debate on this CR. We would pass it and it would be done. Members wouldn't have an opportunity to influence the legislation before us.

This is part of this majority's promise that we are going to open the process and let the Members of Congress, the elected Representatives of the people, have a say in how we craft this legislation and in how it turns out in the long run. I don't understand, frankly, why Members would oppose the rule. I can understand their opposition to the underlying bill, but to oppose the rule makes no sense whatsoever.

Secondly, I rise in support of the underlying legislation. It is tough. The other side of the aisle continues to say all the right things: We've got to make tough decisions. We've got to enforce tough love. We've got to reduce the deficit. We've got to cut our spending. I hear those words and those phrases by every speaker who has come up. Yet they oppose every effort to try to reduce the spending of the Federal Government as if it is a drastic reduction in what's going to happen and as if it's going to destroy our economy and destroy the Federal Government. Frankly, none of that is true.

Remember, as the gentleman from Iowa did say, we've got a $1.65 trillion deficit in this budget, $1.65 trillion. That's on top of the $14 trillion we're already in debt.

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Mr. SIMPSON. There is no magic bullet. We know we can't balance this budget simply by reducing non-security, non-defense spending.

Yet as the saying goes: The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. This is that first step.

Yes, we have to get after the entitlement programs if we're going to reduce this deficit. Yes, we have to look at all of our tax structure if we're going to get after this deficit; but we've got to do what the American people instinctively know is the right thing to do, which is to get back to a balanced budget and quit endangering the future of our children and grandchildren.

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