Brad Ashford

Mr. ASHFORD

Mr. ASHFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Federal spending. In my home State of Nebraska, we are mandated by the State constitution to balance the budget. This is something that we are sorely in need of here in Washington. The Congressional Budget Office just released a report that indicated that deficits are projected to balloon over the next several years, topping $1 trillion by 2025. The national debt will grow to over $21 trillion by the same year. Mr. Speaker, we all know these are unsustainable trends. That is why I am very proud to be a cosponsor of the Savings Accountability Value and Efficiency Act, or SAVE Act. This bill, introduced by my good friend and colleague Congressman Patrick Murphy, would save the Federal Government nearly $480 billion over the next 10 years. I applaud my colleague for his efforts in working to put our country on a more sustainable fiscal path. I hope that we can come together in a bipartisanship manner towards that end.

Mr. ASHFORD

Mr. ASHFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Nebraska's independent tradition of governing. In Nebraska, we do things a little differently. We have the only nonpartisan unicameral legislature in the Nation, a body that I proudly served in for 16 years, as did my good friends Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Adrian Smith. In Lincoln, legislators are not bound by political parties but by the needs of their constituents; rather than provide partisan sound bites, members of the unicameral provide solutions forged through compromise and collaboration. We need more of this tradition in Washington, and I hope to bring Nebraska common sense to this body. We need to find more ways to come together and solve our Nation's problems. The American people do not want dogged partisanship. They want us to work together to get real results that help make their everyday lives better. I have pledged to be an independent, pragmatic voice for my constituents to responsibly tackle the difficult issues facing our country and to do so in a bipartisan manner. I hope that my colleagues will follow Nebraska's example.

Mr. ASHFORD

Mr. ASHFORD. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. ASHFORD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.