Appointment of Conferees on S.Con.Res.11, Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, Fiscal Year 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I was recently asked, What one issue keeps you up at night? I answered in an instant, Our government's debt: a debt that has doubled in just 8 years, a debt that now exceeds the size of our entire annual economy, a debt that is generating interest costs that are now eating us alive, roughly a quarter-trillion dollars a year just to rent the money that we have already spent.

The Congressional Budget Office warns us, in 10 years, interest costs will exceed our entire defense spending if we continue down the road we are on.

Admiral Mullen wasn't just blowing smoke when he said that, in his professional military judgment, the greatest threat to our national security was our national debt, because before you can provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare, you have to be able to pay for it, and the ability of our country to do so is coming into grave doubt.

For 4 years, this House had passed budgets that put our Nation back on the path to fiscal solvency and began paying down this enormous debt that is sapping our prosperity and threatening our futures. For 4 years, the Senate simply refused to act and, as the gentleman from Georgia said, we just kicked the can down the road.

Well, last November's election changed that. Now the Senate has also passed a budget that balances in 10 years.

Now, for the first time in many years, we have the fleeting opportunity to invoke a conference process and put this Nation back on tMr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I was recently asked, What one issue keeps you up at night? I answered in an instant, Our government's debt: a debt that has doubled in just 8 years, a debt that now exceeds the size of our entire annual economy, a debt that is generating interest costs that are now eating us alive, roughly a quarter-trillion dollars a year just to rent the money that we have already spent.

The Congressional Budget Office warns us, in 10 years, interest costs will exceed our entire defense spending if we continue down the road we are on.

Admiral Mullen wasn't just blowing smoke when he said that, in his professional military judgment, the greatest threat to our national security was our national debt, because before you can provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare, you have to be able to pay for it, and the ability of our country to do so is coming into grave doubt.

For 4 years, this House had passed budgets that put our Nation back on the path to fiscal solvency and began paying down this enormous debt that is sapping our prosperity and threatening our futures. For 4 years, the Senate simply refused to act and, as the gentleman from Georgia said, we just kicked the can down the road.

Well, last November's election changed that. Now the Senate has also passed a budget that balances in 10 years.

Now, for the first time in many years, we have the fleeting opportunity to invoke a conference process and put this Nation back on the road to solvency. Time is not our friend, and we don't have much of it left.

The conference committee must have full latitude to act on a budget that both Houses can agree to, and the Democratic motion would hamstring that conference.

My friend from Maryland, on behalf of the House Democrats, says this budget isn't right for America. Well, America needs to know that the Democratic budget never balances. It would continue our country down the road of debt and doubt and despair that we have been on during these long, cold years.

The gentleman from Maryland criticizes premium support to save Medicare. Well, Americans need to know that the Medicare trustees themselves are screaming this warning at us, that, without reform, Medicare will bankrupt within 15 years. That means if you are 50 years or younger, it won't be there for you.

When the Democrats say don't reform Medicare, what they mean is they are quite all right with that system collapsing on an entire generation of Americans.

Mr. Speaker, all that stands between this Nation and the road to solvency and recovery is the conference process that can produce a plan to balance the budget, and all that stands against that, an unfettered conference process, is this motion.

As I said, we don't have much time left.he road to solvency. Time is not our friend, and we don't have much of it left.

The conference committee must have full latitude to act on a budget that both Houses can agree to, and the Democratic motion would hamstring that conference.

My friend from Maryland, on behalf of the House Democrats, says this budget isn't right for America. Well, America needs to know that the Democratic budget never balances. It would continue our country down the road of debt and doubt and despair that we have been on during these long, cold years.

The gentleman from Maryland criticizes premium support to save Medicare. Well, Americans need to know that the Medicare trustees themselves are screaming this warning at us, that, without reform, Medicare will bankrupt within 15 years. That means if you are 50 years or younger, it won't be there for you.

When the Democrats say don't reform Medicare, what they mean is they are quite all right with that system collapsing on an entire generation of Americans.

Mr. Speaker, all that stands between this Nation and the road to solvency and recovery is the conference process that can produce a plan to balance the budget, and all that stands against that, an unfettered conference process, is this motion.

As I said, we don't have much time left.

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