Civilian Property Realignment Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. KELLY. I thank the gentleman from California.

I do stand in strong support of the Civilian Property Realignment Act, and I'll tell you why. I come from the private sector where sometimes assets become liabilities. An asset becomes a liability when it costs you so much to insure it, secure it, and maintain it that it no longer serves the purpose it was originally designed for.

When you look at this, I look at this as almost--there's a TV show. I haven't seen it, but they tell me it's called ``Hoarders.'' This is where people hoard things that they have no use for, but it takes up all space in their house and it takes up their personal wealth.

We are looking at a situation right now in this country where we have to reduce the size of government and reduce the cost. Why? Because it's the hardworking American taxpayer that foots the bill for all these properties that are being unused or underused. Wouldn't it just make sense to take them from the liability side and put it on the asset side? It no longer will cost the American taxpayers money to secure, insure, and maintain. It would go into the private sector. It would create jobs. These people would convert these into a use that makes more sense for today, and they would start paying taxes on it. This is a win-win situation for the American taxpayer.

I would submit to you, if this were not a reelection year, we would not be going through gymnastics in this House of things that make absolutely no sense to the people who pay for them; that's the American taxpayer.

After sitting here for 1 year and watching this ridiculous tennis match and trying to figure out if we really came to reduce the size of government, if we really came to reduce the debt that we have, if we really came to create jobs, if we really came for something that makes sense for America, why are we wasting America's time by debating issues that don't make sense for the people that pick up the tab, and that's the American taxpayer? It is not this House that pays for it. It is those homes around our district and in this country.

I have gotten to the point where I cannot stand listening to this garbage that comes out of here. It does nothing but create animosity. It does nothing to fix the situation. We have absolutely reached way past the midnight hour.

So I strongly support the gentleman's bill, the Civilian Property Realignment Act. Let's change these things from being liabilities into assets. Let's take the government's foot off the throat of the American taxpayers. Let's turn this country around and make it a useful situation.

I thank the gentleman. Please stand strong. We need to get these issues done.

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