Jason Chaffetz

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us is offered by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kilroy). I am hopeful she will answer a question or two about the actual bill she has sponsored. Ms. Kilroy, would you mind answering a question about the bill that you are sponsoring? I would like to enter into a colloquy with Ms. Kilroy. Ms. Kilroy, you are the sponsor of this bill having enabled this language and voting in favor of the stimulus bill.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to ask a question of the woman who just spoke.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, do we know why she walked away? I just wanted the ability to ask a question about the bill that she sponsored.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I have a question about why she walked away.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I was trying to ask the Speaker why the gentlewoman would walk away from the microphone when I simply wanted to ask a question.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, Americans are concerned not only about the safety of their food but their ability to put food on their tables. So it makes no sense that the Food and Drug Administration has mandated change to dietary supplement labels which will add no safety benefits or protections to consumers. These forced changes will result in higher prices for vitamins and minerals many Americans rely on to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. In December of 2006, the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act was passed into law. The law requires mandatory reporting of serious adverse events. That is a good thing. But the FDA has now mandated label changes which they're only giving the industry 1 year to comply with. Industry will make the required changes in their labels, but forcing them to do so in less than 9 months is not the answer. Keep in mind, however, the law underlying this guidance did not require any label changes. It was the FDA's decision, independent of legislation, to force these changes on supplement producers. And what is the price tag for these required changes? According to the FDA's own documents, compliance would exceed $220 million. Not a small amount in today's business environment. Clearly, now is the not the time for our government to find ways to needlessly increase costs for consumers, especially when these mandates provide no added benefits or protections for consumers.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the gentleman for yielding. This chart should be concerning to every single American because what it shows is a doubling, a doubling, from $10 trillion to over $20 trillion of debt. Somebody has to pay that. It's going to be our kids and our grandkids and future generations. We continue to leave this country in a state of debt that is not sustainable. I didn't create this mess, but I am here to help clean it up. I'm a freshman here. But I think we all have to take some responsibility and hold our government leaders accountable for the mess that we're getting in. I think they would appreciate it a lot more if there were more sacrifice. The President talked about going line by line, item by line. We were going to get rid of earmarks. We were going to get rid of this; we were going to get rid of that, go line by line. That hasn't happened. The very day after the President said those words, we were presented a bill that was $410 billion and it had over 8,500 earmarks, 8,500-plus earmarks. The President had just asked for zero, for none. And yet it passed. It went to the President and he signed it. That just doesn't sound like the type of responsibility and accountability that I would expect from my own kids, from the President of the United States. So there has to be this degree of responsibility. And I also want to touch on the AIG thing because that's on the top of everybody's mind. Really what we have seen is a redistribution of wealth. We have seen the government misuse the role of government in reaching into people's pockets and then redistributing that, picking winners and losers like AIG and others, and saying it's better that we take that money out of the people's pockets and put it in their pockets. And then with this audacity, this greed, this unsustainable, unacceptable passion, they go out and misuse this money. Don't you just wish these executives that were going to get these bonuses--why don't they just step up and do the right thing? I wish there would be a sense of pride within these people to say it's just not right for me to get a bonus. It's like when I was a little kid and I was playing soccer or baseball or something like that. I was taught that what you were supposed to do is if you stepped over the line, if you didn't actually make it, you're supposed to call it yourself instead of saying, well, that wasn't me, instead of getting tied up in some technicality that would allow them to do something that they really should not have been doing. So what I would hope that people would do is to take this personal responsibility. The government's not. We are here to fight to make sure that it does become more accountable. But it's this underlying greed that, oh, my goodness, please, step up and do the right thing. But that debt, that is something we can do something about. And that's why I think you see so many of us stepping up and saying the President's budget spends too much, it taxes too much, and it borrows too much.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the good Member for allowing me to join in this conversation because I think the American people are so frustrated. I am so frustrated. Here we have the greatest opportunity, the greatest country on the face of the planet, and yet we see this excessive spending and these taxes that will continue to grow and take away our liberty and freedom and ability to grow as families and as people. And that borrows so much. I think inherently the American people know that we can no longer afford to run this country on a credit card. I was touched by the mention of your daughter, Madison, and being 2 years old. As a father, I have three kids at home, and one of the hardest things about being in the House of Representatives is being away from your family at night. To do the work and argue about the issues of the day is a great privilege, but it is so hard to be away from that family. And you look into the eyes of your daughter or of your son, or you have a loved one who has maybe lost a job, or a friend who has lost a job or has a business that is struggling. I have people in my own community who had home building businesses, and they have literally fallen apart. The question is how are we going to solve these problems? How are we going to move this country forward? There are some on the Democrat side of the aisle who will argue that only government can solve these problems. It is not only government. In fact, I would argue it is only the American people that will actually go forward and solve and create and build this country back up to where it should be, as the economic and military leader in the world. That is done through entrepreneurs. It is done through building businesses. I was so satisfied. Actually, I felt a bit of vindication when I saw the President stand up and make the case that I have been making for a long, long time: that small businesses are the ones that are going to build jobs in this country, that small businesses are the drivers of this economy. And yet, that was the same argument that I used to say look, the trillions of dollars that are going to be set aside for stimulus and bailouts and all of that, isn't going to drive our economy forward. The last stimulus bill that we had, the Republicans in the House of Representatives united. Not one of them voted in favor of it. That was because it expanded 106 Federal programs, 33 new programs and a whole host of other programs, that got money sprinkled across it, but it did nothing for the Madisons of the world, for my son, Max, and Ellis and Kate, and for Burtis Bills, the mayor of Payson, and even my brother's father-in-law, Bob Johnson of Topeka, Kansas, who owns a transmission shop. I had to talk to these people and look them in the eye and convey to them that we weren't doing anything to help them. We were growing government, we weren't growing jobs. We were building all-time, record-high debt, debt that ultimately has to be paid. So I look at what we are doing in this government, the amount of spending and the amount of taxes and the amount of borrowing, and say it is just too much. If we are truly going to grow the United States of America, it is going to be that entrepreneur. It is going to be that small business owner that is going to propel this country forward.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. More than 160 titles are wrapped into more than 1,200 pages in this bill. Seventy-five of these titles in the House and 23 in the Senate have never been considered, introduced, or debated. We need openness, transparency, and debate on all bills, and this lands bill falls far short. This bill takes roughly 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 300 million barrels of oil out of production in Wyoming. At a time when we must strive for energy independence, and people need jobs, this is not a time to further lock up our resources. This bill is also filled with pork: $3.5 million to celebrate the anniversary of St. Augustine, Florida; $250,000 dollars to decide--just to decide--how to designate Alexander Hamilton's boyhood home. From making a child a Federal criminal for picking up a fossil, to locking up our public lands, to a lack of proper debate, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep concerns about the so-called ``cap and trade'' proposal. This is a new tax, a carbon tax, that would be levied upon every single American. We were told that 95 percent of Americans would not see even ``one dime'' of increase in their taxes. Despite this rhetoric from the administration, 100 percent of Americans will pay this new tax. Every person, every business, every family will pay this new tax. Even Warren Buffet refers to this as a ``regressive tax.'' At a time when business is struggling and all Americans across the country are worried about the expenses of their daily lives, now, especially now, is not the time to raise taxes. The President's budget spends too much, it taxes too much, and it borrows too much. The new carbon tax, disguised in the green robe of ``cap and trade,'' is not a tax the American people are willing to pay. I urge the American people to rise up against this tax and reject this unwarranted tax upon our families.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the gentlewoman. It is a pleasure and honor to serve in the United States Congress. I'm a freshman here. I didn't create this problem, but I am here to help clean it up. I argued for a long time that the Republican spending was far too egregious, that we were spending far too much money and continued to propel ourselves into debt that was unsustainable and unacceptable in my opinion. It is funny, though, that as I hear the Democrats argue that while there was all this out-of-control spending when the Republicans were in charge, that somehow that has changed, that somehow deficit spending has changed. It has not. It is partly what got us into this problem. We, on an average day, have added $2.8 billion to our national debt since January of 2007. That doesn't count the stimulus. That doesn't count the bailout. That doesn't count any of these nearly $2 trillion, trillion, of additional spending that we have seen this Congress all too often just quickly go off and give away. We cannot run this government on a credit card. Our families can't do that. My family can't do that. The American people can't do that. This Federal Government has got to stop doing that. We don't have a revenue problem in this country for our Federal Government. We do have a spending problem. We have a huge spending problem. I remember when I was in college, not too long ago, but it was a while ago, and I had my monthly stipend for the month. And at about week 3, I ran out of money. And I thought I will just call mom and dad and they will just send me the money. So I called up and talked to my mom. And she said, no, I'm sorry, you're going to have to figure it out. And my dad, whom I really didn't want to call, said, you had your allowance, you have got to learn to live within it. It is one of the most valuable lessons that I ever learned. I learned more about Top Ramen noodles than anyone in this country in that week. And it was a good thing. It was a healthy thing. It made me reprioritize what was important. And it made me think through what was a priority in my life, that I couldn't just go on the credit card and continue to spend more money. The primary reason I ran for the United States Congress is because I care about the future and because we are on a trajectory that is unsustainable. Until we return to those core principles of fiscal discipline, limited government, accountability and a strong national defense, we will continue to suffer as a Nation. And right at the top, right at the top of that list is fiscal discipline. Because there are things, there are roles and responsibilities that our government has to execute on. And we can all point to failures. We can all point to successes. But fundamentally, the spending in this Congress, the spending that is proposed by the Obama administration, is simply unacceptable. We cannot be all things to all people. And my concern is that the rhetoric is not matching the reality. I sat right here at in this Chamber, row 7, thrilled and honored to watch the President of the United States address the joint session of Congress. He asked in that session that we present appropriation bills free of earmarks. And yet the very next day, it hadn't even been 24 hours, the House of Representatives passed a bill with more than 8,500 earmarks. I'm proud to say I voted ``no'' on that. There was a presentation that said that they wanted more openness, that we wanted more transparency, that we were going to get 5 days to review a bill online, that the American people would get to see what is in these bills, and that we as a body here in the House of Representatives would have 48 hours, 48 hours, to be able to see what is in a bill before we voted on it. It unanimously passed this body in a resolution. And yet just over 12 hours later, we got the single largest spending bill in the history of the United States. It was more than 1,000 pages. We had just over 12 hours. That is not openness. That is not transparency. And the consequence is this out-of-control spending. It was $1 trillion, a number so big it is not even fathomable. And now we look and we hear people say, well, 95 percent of Americans are not going to pay one dime more in taxes. That is not true. It is not true. American people, I hope you digest this, it is not true. The so-called carbon tax, or the cap-and-trade, is a tax that will be paid by 100 percent of Americans, 100 percent of Americans. If you consume or use any form of energy, you're going to have to pay this tax. Now, I want to take care of the environment. I care about the environment. But this is simply not the time and the way to do it. And if you look at this chart here, what is sickening to me and our future is what is going to happen with our debt. Based on the President's presentation, based on the spending plan that he has put together, based on the President's budget, we are going to double, double, our national debt to $20 trillion. Somebody has to pay that. It is the American people that are going to pay that, my kids and their grandkids. We have got to cut the size and scope of government. We cannot be all things to all people. Somehow, some way, we have got to find a way to be disciplined enough to say, enough is enough. Let's prioritize those things that are most important that we have to do to protect and take care of the American people. But we cannot continue this out-of-control spending. Just over 10 years ago, our Federal budget was $1.5 trillion. Now we are over $3 trillion on our way to $4 trillion. And that doesn't count the bailouts, the stimulus and the others who are already beating the drum saying, we need more. No, you don't. We need to cut spending and cut back the size and scope of government, because in my opinion this government right now is spending too much, the administration is taxing too much, and this administration is absolutely borrowing too much money.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I rise because I am concerned about the direction of this country and the fundamental and proper role of government. I still remember reading and seeing the old films and seeing President Kennedy stand up and say, ``Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,'' and yet we seem to be moving in the wrong direction. The furnace, the engine that is the United States of America, what makes America so great are the entrepreneurs, that entrepreneurial spirit. It is the American people who grab hold of things and make things happen; and yet at every turn I look and I see government getting in the way. As I meet with entrepreneurs, as I meet with people who own businesses and employ people and have jobs, they don't sit back and say, boy, I wonder what the government is going to do to make my life better. The question that they ask is, what sort of hindrances are going to be in the way? We've got to understand in this country that manufacturing is good; it's good to manufacture. We have to actually create and build things in the United States of America. We can't simply be a service-based economy. And yet at every single turn I see these radical environmentalists who want to get in the way and prohibit us from actually developing and creating something. I see this so-called cap and trade--I think it's more like a cap and tax, where we're going to simply tax our way out of our problems and say every piece of energy that we create in this country we're going to add a tax to it. That's not going to grow this country; that's not going to propel us forward. We have created so many barriers to entry for the person who wants to start their own home-based business to the largest manufacturers that are in this country. We have to empower these people, and that means getting government out of the way, creating life that's more simple. Now, is there a role and responsibility for government to regulate certain things, for instance on Wall Street? Of course there is. Nobody has ever suggested that we just simply get rid of everything, but we have not streamlined the process. Look, I'm a Republican. The President has said several things that I agree with, that I applaud him for--the ending of no-bid contracts, a push for earmark reform; he said he wants smaller government. I even like the fact that he put the Iraq appropriations into the base budget instead of these supplemental appropriations, and I applaud him for that. But it is imperative for the American people to hold their public leaders accountable for what they say they're going to do. I think that's all we ask. I've got a wife, I've got three kids. All I want them to do is I just want my kids to do what they say they're going to do. And so when the President calls for appropriations without earmarks, and the very next day--the very next day--we get to vote on a bill with 8,500 earmarks in it, you just have to look at that and say, wait a second, the talk is good, but are we actually walking the walk? It's not yet happening. We don't have time to wait anymore. We talk about smaller government. Well, we just passed the single largest spending bill in the history of the United States of America for $1 trillion--$1 trillion. We had just something like 13 hours to actually review it. Please, we have to be held accountable. I'm a freshman. It is an honor and a privilege to serve the United States Congress. I didn't create this problem, but I am here to help clean it up. And for those of us that have been elected, entrusted by the people, the constituents within our districts, I say, please, hold us all accountable; raise expectations. It is not government, it is not government that is going to get us out of this; it is going to be the empowerment of the entrepreneur, it is going to be the empowerment of the American people that will drive and propel this country forward. It is always what has created the greatest success in the United States of America. It is the power that makes us the greatest country on the face of this planet. But we have to make sure that we keep government in check. It's about smaller government, not bigger government. Please, I ask that we be united and fight for this cause, fight for the American entrepreneur. Keep government limited, keep it out of our way, and empower the American people.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise with concern about the President's budget. Now is not the time to be raising taxes. We should not be raising rates, nor should we diminish the benefits for people who are paying their mortgage as they should be. As determined as the Democrats are to raise taxes, you don't fuel the engines of economic growth by penalizing those who are responsible, who do play by the rules, and who don't need a bailout. By reducing the tax reductions for mortgage interest, the Democrats are raising taxes, and they are growing government while reducing economic incentives for those who have resources to invest in a faltering economy. Further, at this time of need, now is not the time to reduce the benefits for making charitable donations. Nonprofit religious organizations and institutions of higher education are also struggling in this economy. The net result of the President's budget is less money for donating to those worthwhile causes. We do have a choice: do you want to keep your money and spend your money, or do you want the government bureaucracy to tax and spend? I believe in the American people; it's their money, not the government's money. Government is not the solution, the American people are the solution.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. I appreciate it. I am deeply concerned about the direction of this country. I know there are people out there that are suffering. I recently had an opportunity go to the Payson City Chamber of Commerce and meet with small local business people. The Mayor was there, Mayor Burtis Bills, a wonderful gentleman. These people are all concerned about the economy. They all have their own businesses, from an auto repair shop, to a local flower business, to a home-based business that was just kicking off and won an award. The direction that we're taking with our Federal government I believe is an impediment to the success of those people. As I looked them in the eye, I didn't have anything to tell them that the stimulus or this budget would truly help them with. This budget takes from the American people; it doesn't give more of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And fundamentally, that's what we here in the United States Congress are supposed to be doing. It's about who is going to control the destiny of our country. I believe in less government. The President says he believes in less government. But when you look at the budget, it's more government, it's more government spending. I'm mystified when they make the argument----

Mr. CHAFFETZ. If the gentleman would yield. You know, as we look at this, I liken it to a house. The furnace has gone out; it's the middle of the winter and the furnace has gone out. So what are we going to do? Well, we've been off redecorating the kitchen and we've remodeled the basement and we bought new drapes. We did everything except fix the furnace. And that furnace is the American entrepreneur, it's that man or woman who is going to start their local business. And you've got to look at the stimulus and say, what's in it for them? Less than 1 percent was tax cuts for that type of person, less than 1 percent. We said we were going to build roads and bridges and rebuild America; yet only 3.4 percent of that stimulus actually went to those types of activities. So I think you have to look at it through the lens of the American entrepreneur, the small businessman who's truly going to create that job. How are they going to grow their business from 10 to 20 employees? I visited with somebody in my office earlier today who had 64 employees. The question for us is how are they going to get to 100? And it's not more government. It's not funding these outrageous programs that are going to do nothing for that local entrepreneur.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, in the President's address to the joint session of Congress, he said unequivocally he was opposed to bigger government. Yet the President's budget does exactly the opposite. Big government is back and is bigger than before. Under the President's plan, the national debt will double to $20 trillion. We cannot sustain this; we cannot afford this, and we simply must say, ``No.'' The President said, ``If your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increase a single dime. I repeat: not a single dime.'' Yet the President's budget calls for significant tax increases that will be paid by every American, by 100 percent of us. Let us remember it is not the government's money we talk about and spend. It is the American people's money. We cannot afford to continue to run this government on a credit card. We are going to have to do more with less, and that means finding ways to cut government spending.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, this week the people of Utah mourned the passing of a beloved community leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Larry H. Miller's life is an inspiration to all of us who care about families, our communities and our country. Larry Miller was an extraordinary businessman, building more than 80 companies, including his auto business from one dealership in 1979 to 39 today. His business holdings expanded with the 1985 purchase of the Utah Jazz and later the Salt Lake Bees and the creation of the Miller Motorsports Park. Perhaps more important than his business success was his charitable work, much of it unseen and anonymous. Through his Larry H. Miller Charities, Miller provided for thousands, funded campus sports facilities, and established a training center for entrepreneurs, as well as a facility for public safety training. Larry H. Miller had a profound impact upon the State of Utah, and his works will continue to be a positive force in countless lives. I honor his accomplishments, his example, his philanthropy, and wish nothing but the best for his family, and hope they understand the deep gratitude Utah shares for a truly honorable man.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Tim Murphy).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. None.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 110, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Illinois an additional minute.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my distinguished colleague from the State of Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Florida (Mr. Rooney).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 110, congratulating the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning Super Bowl XLIII and becoming the most successful franchise in NFL history with their record sixth Super Bowl title. Mr. Speaker, the Steelers 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa, Florida, on February 1, 2009, marked a truly historic moment in NFL history in several ways. The victory marked the sixth Super Bowl win for the Steelers, giving them more Super Bowl titles than any other team in the history of the National Football League. It also gave rise to a new nickname for the storied franchise that has many nicknames, ``Sixburgh.'' This is the first Super Bowl win for Coach Mike Tomlin, who became the youngest coach in NFL history to win the championship game. In only his second season as the Steelers head coach, he joins the ranks of other legendary Steelers coaches, Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. This epic win came against a dangerous and surprising underdog. This is the first appearance in franchise history for the Arizona Cardinals. The unlikely Super Bowl contender shook off their reputation as being one of the most dysfunctional teams in the NFL. The Cardinals soared through the NFC playoffs, which ended with a convincing win over the heavily fortified Philadelphia Eagles. In a game marked by miraculous receptions and tremendous plays, who could forget one of the most exciting, and longest, plays in Super Bowl history? With Arizona on the Pittsburgh 2 yard line, poised to take a 14-10 lead with 18 seconds left in the first half, Pittsburgh linebacker, James Harrison, the NFL's defensive MVP, picked off Kurt Warner's pass at the Pittsburgh goal line. Harrison rumbled and stumbled 100 yards for a Steelers touchdown and a 17-7 half-time lead. While Pittsburgh largely outplayed Arizona for most of the game, the hopes of the Cardinals fans took flight when Kurt Warner hit receiver Larry Fitzgerald for a 64-yard touchdown pass putting the Cardinals up 23-20 with 2:37 left in the game. But those hopes came crashing to the ground when Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, engineered a 78- yard drive culminating in a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, who made a stunning, acrobatic catch with 35 seconds left to give the Steelers the lead and, after a stalled Cardinals drive, their historic sixth Lombardi trophy. Regardless of who you were rooting for, this was widely regarded as one of the greatest Super Bowl games in recent memory, and the fans at home agreed. According to Nielsen Media Research data, the game had 151.6 million viewers, which made it the most-viewed program in television history. With that, I would like to congratulate the owners of the Steelers, the great Rooney family, my colleague, Mr. Rooney, from Florida, the coaches and players as well as ``Steeler Nation'' and the legions of Terrible Towel waving fans in Pittsburgh and across the country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.