David Dreier

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. As we've seen here today, Madam Speaker, we are marking an important turning point in the history of the United States House of Representatives. We have before us a package of reforms that will bring greater transparency and accountability to this House, and it will once again give the American people the opportunity to participate in the legislative process. They've made clear to us that what their priorities are--job creation, economic growth, and a smaller, more accountable Federal Government--must be done. The reforms included in the rules package are designed to ensure that those priorities are met and that we are held responsible for our actions to do the people's work. Madam Speaker, I want to thank each and every one of my colleagues who have worked tirelessly on this rules package. Never before in history has there been the kind of Member involvement--bipartisan Member involvement--in an opening day rules package. I particularly want to thank my good friends Greg Walden, who led our transition team, and Rob Bishop, who led the rules reform effort, as well as the other members of our transition working group. We had four new Members of Congress who right after the election got involved in working on this very, very important transition, and I want to express my appreciation. As I said, Madam Speaker, this has, for the first time, ever been bipartisan. I don't want to claim that my Democratic colleagues are supportive of this rules package, but I will say that when we began the process, I'm happy that former Speaker Pelosi designated as liaisons to work with us through the transition process the distinguished former chair of the Administration Committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady), and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), and I want to express my appreciation to them again for their hard work. As we looked for ways to chart a new course and reduce congressional waste, we knew that we had to consider good ideas from both political parties, and that's why I'm happy to say we had input from both Democrats and Republicans in fashioning this opening day rules package. Our Democratic liaisons were tremendous partners, and again, I express my appreciation to my Democratic colleagues for joining with us in this effort. Now, having completed our transition work, we are now beginning a new Congress. Each of us faces the new beginning with the knowledge that congressional approval ratings are abysmally low. It's rare that the Congress is held in high esteem by the American people--we all know that--but it is even rarer to have an approval rating that is as low as it is right now. Now, why is it that this body has become so unpopular? The reason is that the American people felt that they were not being listened to. They have sent us here to conduct the 112th Congress differently than any Congress of the past. I'm not going to just talk about the last two Congresses, Madam Speaker; I'm going to say that they sent us here this year to perform differently than any Congress of the past. What's more, they have given us, as Speaker Boehner likes to say, some pretty simple and clear and direct marching orders when it comes to our work: fulfill our constitutional duties in an open and transparent way. Now, Madam Speaker, this rules package that we have before us provides us the tools to do just what the American people have asked: to perform our constitutional duties in a transparent and open way. Because our highest priorities are job creation and economic growth, we must rein in the government spending that has spiraled out of control over the past several years. We're taking several steps to meet that goal. For starters, we're requiring that any new spending be offset for five 10-year budget windows. If a bill increases the deficit by more than $5 billion in any of these 10-year windows, it will be subjected to a point of order. In other words, we're changing the rules of the House to ensure that we look at short, medium, as well as long-term consequences to Federal spending. We should not, and cannot, consider legislation that pushes the Federal budget deficit and the problems down the road. We will also be reforming the spending process by replacing PAYGO with CutGo. Rather than pairing spending with tax increases, job- killing tax increases, we will pair it with spending cuts. It's often been said that we don't have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem. These new rules will make it easier to reduce spending rather than increase it. In fact, the idea behind this package is to focus on ways in which we can increase the opportunity to reduce spending rather than increase it. Now, Madam Speaker, we're also taking important steps to make us more accountable to the American people, the people whom we're so honored to represent. We won't be voting on bills unless they've been available for at least 3 calendar days. We will be returning much of the legislative work back to the committees where greater transparency will be required. The work product, the recorded votes, and the video archives of all committees are required by these rules to be posted online. No longer will massive legislation be written behind closed doors, regardless of political party, and rammed through the House before anyone has the chance to review or amend the text. Our work will be done in an open way that affords all Members the opportunity to participate and scrutinize. Another key reform by this rules package is the creation of an electronic format for legislation. This represents a dramatic change in how legislation is made available, not just to Members but to the public and the press as well. Now, Madam Speaker, for the last two centuries, legislation was considered available when a paper copy was dropped off in the document room across the street. Now it will be considered available when anyone with access to the Internet can look it up. This new format will evolve over time, and there's work ahead that still has to be done as we implement these rules changes, but no Member should consider this vote as the end of the reform efforts of this Congress. Again, what we're doing here today is simply the first step in what is going to be a one-year, 2-year process of reform. We will not be wed to the way we used to do things. Rather, we will be looking for new and different ways to do our jobs and to do them in the most transparent and accountable way. And let me say again, Madam Speaker, it is very important for us to ensure that we have the input of my friend from Rochester (Ms. Slaughter) and other Democrats, as well as Republicans, in this process. Madam Speaker, this rules package is a very significant first step. We have learned the hard way that bad process inevitably results in bad outcomes. We need look no further than our ailing economy and spiraling deficit, not to mention Congress' abysmal approval rating, to see that that is true. By reforming the rules of the House, we set the stage for reforming the entire Federal Government. Ultimately, we ensure fidelity to the original rules document, that being the Constitution. And I am so pleased that tomorrow on the House floor, led by our friend from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), we will be having a bipartisan reading of the Constitution. Madam Speaker, our Founders understood better than anyone the importance of restraining Federal power. I think that Thomas Jefferson put it best when he said, ``In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.'' Now, Madam Speaker, in this Congress, we will refocus our efforts on fulfilling our constitutional duties in a transparent and responsible way. We will be reform-minded and accountability-oriented, and we will be driven by the number one concern of the American people--getting our economy back on track. Madam Speaker, form dictates function, and these new rules will set us on the path toward greater economic growth and confidence for the American people. With that, I urge support of this very important resolution and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished chair of the Committee on the Budget, the gentleman from Janesville, Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. DREIER. I will simply say I was quoting Mr. Faleomavaega and Mr. Hoyer when they used that term. I thank my friend for yielding. I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the very distinguished chairman of our transition committee, my friend from Hood River, Oregon (Mr. Walden).

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Well, Mr. Speaker, if I could reclaim my time, there may be very little change, but it is my understanding, just from the brief staff report that I got, that we are going to, under this rule, continue to have a vote on the Pomeroy amendment, which increases the death tax. And following that, because of a concern that was raised by Members on the majority side of the aisle, there was concern that there wouldn't be a final passage vote. So am I correct to infer that we can anticipate the only change being a final passage vote on the measure?

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time again, I am trying to get a clear understanding so that Members of this body will know what the proposed changes are in this rule that is before us that we are debating now. I think that, again, looking back to what we've gone through over the last several years, transparency, disclosure, accountability, those are the guides that we're trying to use. And so before we proceed, Mr. Speaker, I believe that it's very important to have a clear understanding of exactly what it is that we are considering, and so I would ask the chair if she would explain that to the membership. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. I think it is very important for us to understand exactly what is taking place here. About 5 minutes ago I was downstairs and told to appear on the House floor. I am here. I know that there has been a Democratic Caucus held to deal with the changes. I know that lots of people have been following what has transpired over the past few hours, and I think that before we proceed, it would be best for the distinguished chair of the Committee on Rules, Mr. Speaker, to explain to us sort of what's happened and what we're doing and what specific changes Members can anticipate in this rule. I would be happy to yield to my friend from New York.

Mr. DREIER. I am very appreciative of my friend for yielding. Let me, Mr. Speaker, explain it the way I've understood. So the rule is identical to the rule that we were debating earlier, that being we are anticipating 3 hours of general debate; we are expecting that there will be a vote then on the proposal by Mr. Pomeroy to increase the death tax. Then, Mr. Speaker, we may or may not, following that, have a vote on final passage before the measure is sent to the Senate; and from there, it would then go on to the President. Is that a correct explanation?

Mr. DREIER. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate my friend for having explained it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. DREIER. I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Rochester for yielding me the customary 30 minutes and yield myself such time as I might consume. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DREIER. I thank my friend for yielding. I would say to my friend that he is absolutely right in pointing to the fact that we had a more than 2-hour hearing in the Rules Committee. The die was already cast. The decision had already been made that the only thing that would be made in order was an opportunity to increase the death tax, that burden on the intergenerational transfer that we believe is important to keep our economy growing. And the amendment that my friend offered, and my California colleague, Mr. Herger, offered a similar amendment to deal with this notion of ethanol subsidies, which are just plain wrong, and I'm troubled at the fact that this rule does not allow us a chance to address those issues.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by expressing my appreciation to my very good friend from Rochester, New York, the distinguished chair of the Committee on Rules, Ms. Slaughter, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, Democrats and Republicans alike share the goal of job creation and deficit reduction; we regularly hear that argued from both sides of the aisle. The best way for us to do that is to encourage economic growth. Economic growth is the key to dealing with job creation and deficit reduction. Mr. Speaker, I don't like this bill that is before us, but I like even less the idea of increasing the tax burden on working Americans-- in fact, putting into place what would be tantamount to the largest tax increase that we have ever seen. I am very pleased that President Obama is beginning to embrace the John F. Kennedy vision for economic growth, the vision that has recognized that reducing marginal rates does in fact create jobs and create more opportunity, and the famous John F. Kennedy line, ``the rising tide lifts all boats.'' The fact that President Obama is now moving into that direction is a very positive thing. He has also, on another issue that is going to create jobs, done so on the issue of trade. I am pleased that he wants us to move ahead with what will be the largest bilateral free trade agreement in the history of the world, that being the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. I think it is imperative for us to do this in Colombia and Panama as well so that we can create union and non-union jobs, good manufacturing jobs right here in the United States of America. That is an issue that I hope we are going to be able to address early next year. So, Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is the right thing for us to do, for us to make sure that we don't increase taxes on working Americans. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to our very, very, very diligent and hardworking ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Ennis, Texas (Mr. Barton). (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)