Establishing the Commission on Freedom of Information Act Processing Delays

Floor Speech

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Following my colleague from Utah who talked about getting the President engaged in these discussions, I noticed a large story in Thursday's New York Times: ``President on Sidelines in Critical Battle over Debt Ceiling.'' President on the sidelines.

We are at a time where we are facing the largest threat to our national security, and we cannot have the President on the sidelines.

When I talk about the single largest threat to our national security, I am not talking about a terrorist organization. I am not talking about wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am not talking about natural disasters, disease, epidemics, and not famine. I am talking about our national debt. Our national debt is the threat. It is the greatest threat to our national security.

I will tell my colleagues this isn't a problem for one party, the other party; it is a problem for all of us as Americans. I am not the only one who is saying that. Actually, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ADM Mike Mullen, has said the most significant threat to our Nation's security is our debt. Let me repeat: The most significant threat to our national security is our debt. My colleagues may notice that Admiral Mullen makes no mention at all of the debt ceiling. He is speaking specifically about the debt. He is doing that because the debt ceiling isn't the problem; our national debt is the threat.

We have $14 trillion of debt, and it continues to grow. We are borrowing every day over $4 billion. That is over $2 million every minute.

We say: Where does the money come from? Well, of the money we spent last year in this country, over 41 cents of every dollar we spent--over 41 cents of every dollar--is borrowed money, a lot of it from foreign countries, and specifically from China. How do we stay a strong and independent leader of the world if we owe that kind of debt to anyone, especially to another country who may not have our best interests at heart?

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff clearly understands this. But it is not just our military leaders who understand this, families and business owners all across Wyoming understand it, and the American people understand it. We all know what the American people want. They want cuts to spending now, they want to control spending in the future, and they want accountability. They sure don't believe they are getting it out of Washington.

I received an e-mail this week from a gentleman from my hometown of Casper. He looked at this whole thing and he said:

The fact that the debt ceiling needs to be raised is where the problem lies. This is a systemic problem that will either be fixed or it will eventually destroy this Nation. I urge you to stand strong and oppose any spending that exceeds revenue. Using the debt ceiling, we understand, this could be a painful path. It could lead to economic problems. My forefathers put their lives at risk to prevent this kind of idiocy that the Federal Government has become.

He is talking about a debt of $14 trillion.

He said:

Every one of my family members and neighbors is prepared to weather the storm now to prevent future catastrophe.

My friends on the other side of the aisle are focused on the debt ceiling. It seems to me they have lost sight of the real problem, and that problem is the debt. Instead of working toward a higher debt ceiling, we need to be discussing ways to get our fiscal feet back on the floor, to get our fiscal house in order, and to provide the accountability the American people want.

I listened to the President's address to the Nation last Monday night. It seemed to be more of a campaign speech than an address about the issues facing this country. There was blaming going on, it seemed to me. Scare tactics, class warfare. He used the word ``balanced'' about seven times. He kept talking about a balanced approach.

Americans don't want a balanced approach; they want a balanced budget. They want a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. That is the way we do it in Wyoming. That is the way many States do it. They want us to live within our means and balance the budget year after year after year.

There is a lesson we could learn from so many States around the country: Live within your means every year.

The American people want us to seek a real solution. They want a real solution that provides them with the peace of mind to know they will not be subjected to this sort of activity on a repeated basis. They want the peace of mind as well as the economic security that they believe as Americans--they believe as Americans--is a basis for this great country. They are looking for a solution that recognizes the current system in Washington is broken, and they are looking for a solution that says we realize we need to take immediate action to fix it.

Why is it broken? Why do we need immediate action? It is broken because we have failed to live within our means for so very long. It is also broken because this body, the Senate, has not had a budget for over 800 days. For over 800 days there has not been a budget in the Senate. One brought forth by the President failed; it got no votes. Ninety-seven people voted against it. Not one Democrat voted for the President's budget--not one.

It seems to be broken because Washington is more focused on short-term political gain instead of the long-term consequences of our actions. We saw that a little earlier with the discussions on the Senate floor. I am ready to vote on the proposal on the Senate floor. The minority leader recommended a vote immediately. Yet it was objected to by the majority leader.

Since the beginning of this entire debate, I have had a very clear bottom line. We need to avoid defaulting and implement the spending controls to get our finances back in order. What is the President's bottom line? The President said it:

The only bottom line I have is that we have to extend this debt ceiling through the next election into 2013.

The President's only bottom line: Ignore and avoid the biggest threat to our national security until after the next election.

Contrary to what the President wants, we cannot ignore, we cannot avoid this issue until after the next election. People all across the country are worried about their jobs. They are worried about the economy. They are worried about the debt, and they are worried about the spending. The American people want us to take action. They want us to cut costs. They want us to control spending. They want us to enforce accountability across every branch of the Federal Government. They would like us to put progress ahead of partisanship. They want us to put people before politics. The decisions that must be made aren't easy for either party. This isn't about Democrats, Republicans, Independents; it is about America. It is about this country.

People all across the country--and I have been in my office since early this morning, and we have been answering the phones. What I am hearing is what all of my colleagues should be hearing if they are answering their phones: Enough is enough. That is what the American people are saying.

We are now at the eleventh hour, and we must not lose sight of our goal. It is more important to find a real solution than it is to settle for a quick compromise.

So I look at some of these letters and calls and e-mails that have been coming in, and one is from Pinedale, WY. It says:

It is better to bite a small bullet now than a cannon shell later on.

That is a Wyoming way of talking. That was from Pinedale, WY.

A couple from Casper, a different e-mail:

This country is in dire financial straits. Since I work for the Federal Government, I have more to lose than most Americans, but I don't want to give this administration a blank check.

This is someone who works for the Federal Government: I don't want to give the administration a blank check.

We have to get this country back on track to fiscal responsibility and this is the open debate. I realize my job could be cut just to get there, but the national debt is too large to ignore.

This is a Wyoming person talking, putting the country in front of politics and putting the country in front of himself.

He goes on to say:

We must get it under control or there is more to lose than just our jobs. The economic consequences of not getting this under control will devastate this country years down the road. We have to start now before it is too late.

Then another from a woman in Casper who said:

It is time to cut up the Federal Government's credit card. The current debt situation is an insult to all of us who live within our means. People in the country live within their means; States that balance their budget every year live within their means. It is time for Washington to live within its means.

People are tired of the budget tricks. They are tired of the accounting gimmicks. They are tired of the empty promises. That is what is affecting the people of this country. They want accountability, and it is our responsibility to provide it to them.

People are looking for peace of mind, for good judgment, and they want people to listen to them. Yet what I see are people focused on politics on the other side of the aisle at a time when the greatest threat to our Nation--to this great country, to America--is a national debt that is out of control and that is increasing at the rate of over $4 billion every year.

I yield the floor.

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