Eric Cantor

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. And I know that the gentleman knows, having quoted the article that he did, in that same article the writer gives a lot of credit to the impact of the so-called Bush tax cuts as being economically generative, causing some of the positive results.

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the gentleman, given the fact that he has announced only one rule bill for next week, I would ask the gentleman if he expects the House to be in session next Friday, and I yield.

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland, the majority leader, for the purpose of announcing next week's schedule.

Mr. CANTOR. Again, just to clarify, Mr. Speaker, does that mean that the bill will not go through committee?

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. I would reiterate, Madam Speaker, to the gentleman that Republicans stand ready to work with him in terms of trying to live up to the expectations that families across this country are having to live up to, which is to work in a fiscally responsible manner on a budget blueprint for the year, and am hopeful that Congress can deliver on that prior to the Memorial Day break. With nothing further, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman for that, and would inquire further, Madam Speaker, from the gentleman, I don't know if I am asking, Madam Speaker, whether it is his sense or preference about the length of the extension and whether we can expect or he would expect there to be a 1- or 2-year extension.

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. I would ask the gentleman also, Madam Speaker, when does he expect the tax extender bill to come to the floor? I know Chairman Levin has alluded to it coming to the floor any time within the next 2 weeks. I would further ask the gentleman, Madam Speaker, does he expect that to be a 1- or a 2-year extension?

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. Just to clarify, Madam Speaker, does the gentleman expect either of these items to come to the floor prior to the Memorial Day recess?

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, I noticed that the gentleman from Maryland, the majority leader, did not mention the budget or the Afghan-Iraq supplemental for next week's schedule. And I know that in our last week's colloquy the majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland, stated that he would consider these two items as soon as possible. So I would ask the gentleman if he has an update about floor consideration for either the budget resolution or the supplemental bill for Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland, the majority leader, for the purposes of announcing next week's schedule.

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding. Mr. Chairman, for 93 years individuals born in Puerto Rico have been U.S. citizens, but Puerto Rico itself has been a Commonwealth. And as neither State nor an independent political entity, it has, as Ronald Reagan once said, an unnatural status. It is part of our country, but not entirely. Separate from our country, but not really. Ronald Reagan was motivated to support possible statehood for Puerto Rico in part because our communist enemies were at the time exploiting Puerto Rico's status to sow unrest in Latin America by calling for an end to ``Yankee imperialism.'' While the Soviet Union may no longer be with us, Hugo Chavez is attempting to sow the same unrest, calling for an end to U.S. imperialism in Puerto Rico. Reagan said back in 1980 that we must be ready to demonstrate that ``the American idea can work in Puerto Rico.'' Over the past 2 years, my friend, Governor Luis Fortuno, has worked to do just that. The Governor and others are actively working to increase economic opportunity by reducing the burden the government places on the people, introducing competition and choice to education, lowering taxes, restoring law and order, and defending traditional values. Listening to these achievements, I am reminded that the great experiment begun by our Founding Fathers is not in its last days, but instead is being constantly renewed as we work to expand what it means to live in a land of opportunity. Our best export has always been our ideas. And first and foremost amongst those ideas is the promise that limited government based on the consent of the governed that respects the inalienable rights granted by God is the best hope for mankind on Earth. These ideas have also served as a magnet drawing all those who wish for a better life to our shores. The citizens of Puerto Rico share in this American inheritance. They share in our values and in their belief in the American Dream. The citizens of Puerto Rico deserve the opportunity to speak to their aspirations for the future in a sanctioned plebiscite. If I were drafting this bill, Mr. Chairman, I would draft it differently. And while this legislation is far from perfect, I am motivated at the end of the day to support it by the belief that America's promise is not finite in terms of space or time.

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman, and I think in order to wrap up probably the shortest colloquy yet, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CANTOR. I would just like to reiterate our concern that as he just expressed the need for us to focus on matters of fiscal importance--and a budget would reflect that--as well as, Madam Speaker, to ensure that the House goes in regular order, hopefully, with a supplemental bill. I know there were some reports that that supplemental would come directly to the floor. I can yield to the gentleman if he has anything to respond to that.

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, I noticed that my friend the majority leader did not mention the budget or the supplemental for Afghanistan and Iraq for next week's schedule. Obviously, both are extremely critical. I would like to ask, Madam Speaker, when does he expect those items to come to the floor? I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. CANTOR. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland, the majority leader, for the purposes of announcing next week's schedule.

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. At the start of the health care debate last year, President Obama made two critical promises. He assured the American people that his bill would, number one, lower costs, and that if they liked the coverage they had they could keep it. On the first count, an independent CMS report released last week states that health care costs will skyrocket under this bill by an astounding $311 billion over the next 10 years. That's more than the previous estimate for each individual bill passed in the House and Senate. And if you like what you have, you truly may not be able to keep it. Even care for our seniors is jeopardized. The CMS report warns that Medicare cuts may trigger a flight of hospitals and other health care providers from participation in Medicare. It also states that 50 percent of the seniors participating in Medicare Advantage are set to lose their coverage. The American people deserve better, Mr. Speaker, and that's why we need to repeal the $1 trillion government overhaul of health care and replace it with a bill that makes lowering costs the first priority.

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. And I'd say, final closing, Madam Speaker. I'd say that in order to get a handle on spending, just stop. And that is why we shouldn't allow for discussion of hiking taxes. It allows this body, this Federal Government, to have yet even more of the taxpayer dollars to decide how to spend. It's time for us to stop and practice fiscal discipline and get this economy back on track. I yield back.

Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I would say, if you look at the health care bill that was just passed----

Mr. CANTOR. The health care bill that has just passed, as long as this economy and the players in this economy understand that actions are being taken now to facilitate adopting to a very high tax environment. Now, if the gentleman wants to join us, if he wants to join us in sending the signal to the public that we're not going to continue business as usual, then let's step up, send the signal we're not going to allow taxes to increase any further, and that starts with differing from the President's budget, which calls for $2 trillion of tax hikes over the next 10 years. So I'll say to the gentleman, you can say all day long that you have sat here and provided enough middle class tax relief. It's just not true. The public doesn't understand that. The public sees Washington spending money in unprecedented ways and having to borrow to pay for that. And, ultimately, people understand that it is about raising their taxes, reducing their take-home pay in order to pay for that.

Mr. CANTOR. Well, I can say this year, this year, Madam Speaker, taxes have increased $670 billion, $316 billion of which comes at the expense of the middle class, breaking the President's promise.

Mr. CANTOR. I yield.

Mr. CANTOR. I will apologize----

Mr. CANTOR. I will say to the gentleman again if he is so intent on comparing the two, let's go back to the Bush budget, which would allow us to cut the deficit by 50 percent, if he is so intent on saying how bad things were. Let's stop the spending. But I would say to the gentleman as far as tax relief is concerned, that tax relief to 95 percent of the public, 25 percent of the tax relief went to entities and individuals that don't even pay taxes. Now, in the minds of most Americans, that is not a tax cut; that's a handout. And that is why we have got to start getting back to basics, Madam Speaker, and insist that the kinds of things that we do here are actually constructive to job creation because that is what we need to be about. Now, we can go through the litany of things in this President's budget and what the majority has done over its term in office this session to demonstrate taxes have gone up significantly over this period. It is time to stop taxing, stop spending, and stop borrowing. So, Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for----

Mr. CANTOR. I yield.

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman. I would say to the gentleman that I am heartened to hear about his continued insistence that this body continue to focus on the number one priority of the American people, which is getting this economy going again and getting Americans back to work. Madam Speaker, I would say that most Americans agree that what we ought to be doing is containing and limiting government spending. Many of the programs that the gentleman just pointed out indicate that we, perhaps, are going to keep heading down the same road that we have been in order to try and create an environment for jobs. I would say to the gentleman, although there was some job growth last month, he, himself, I think, would admit that that is just not enough. In fact, if we were to look back at the times of very high employment in prior years, there is probably a need for over 400,000 jobs to be created each month for us, over a period of several years, in order to accommodate for the growth in population as well as to return us to that kind of low unemployment. We have got a lot of work to do, in other words, Madam Speaker, and I know the gentleman knows that. And I think it is fair to say that, in fact, we need to create 434,000 jobs per month for 2 years to make up for the job losses that we have experienced. That is going to take some significant commitment on the part of this Congress to stop the government spending and, frankly, to lower taxes on small business. As the gentleman knows, his constituents just like mine, everyone I talk to knows someone out of work, and it is high time for us to focus on small business, and that is to provide the tax relief for small business and to stop the government programs of spending. And I would hope that the gentleman can commit to trying to change the route that we have taken to finally begin to grow this economy again. With that, Madam Speaker, I would ask the gentleman when----