Default Prevention Act of 2013 - Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, this has been a long, challenging few weeks for Congress and for the country. It is my hope that today we can put some of those most urgent issues behind us.

After yesterday's events the majority leader and I began a series of conversations about a way to get the government reopened and to prevent default. I am confident we will be able to do both of those things later today.

Crucially, I am also confident we will be able to announce that we are protecting the government's spending reductions that both parties agreed to under the Budget Control Act and that the President signed into law. That has been a top priority for me and for my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle throughout this debate, and it has been worth the effort. Some have suggested that we break that promise as part of this agreement. Some have said that Washington needs to spend more, that we need to raise taxes, that we need to just tax our way to prosperity and balance. But what the BCA showed is that Washington actually can cut spending, and because of this law, that is just what we have done. For the first time since the Korean war--for the first time in 50 years--government spending has declined for 2 years in a row. And we are not going back on this agreement.

There is a lot more we need to do to get our Nation's fiscal house in order. Hopefully, once we have gotten past the drama of the moment, we can get to work on it. But for now, let's not understate the importance of the Budget Control Act or the importance of the fight to preserve it. This legislation is the largest spending reduction bill of the last quarter century and the largest deficit reduction bill since 1981 that didn't include a tax hike. Preserving this law is critically important to the future of our country.

Throughout this debate, the public has rightly focused on ObamaCare--for good reason. This law is ravaging our economy, killing jobs, driving up premiums, and driving people off the health care plans they have and like in droves. Its disastrous rollout is a sign of even worse things to come. The refusal to delay it reflects the kind of stubborn, ideological obsession that will do untold damage to our country, and Republicans remain determined to repeal this terrible law. But for today, the relief we hope for is to reopen the government, avoid default, and protect the historic cuts we achieved under the Budget Control Act. This is far less than many of us had hoped for, frankly, but it is far better than what some had sought. Now it is time for Republicans to unite behind other crucial goals.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

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