David Dreier

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. I am going to sit on the edge of my seat in anticipation of Mr. Hoyer's very thoughtful remarks that I look forward to, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. DREIER. If the gentleman would yield, I am happy to answer my friend by saying that the House will work its will. It is one of the things that Speaker Boehner has made very clear. I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. DREIER. Will the gentleman yield? And I will yield my friend additional time.

Mr. DREIER. Pursuant to House Resolution 43, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 38) to reduce spending through a transition to non-security spending at fiscal year 2008 levels, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. One of the indelible and enduring images of 2010 was that of violent protesters on the streets of Athens following the proposal of the government to impose austerity measures. We all remember very vividly that scene. Having come to the brink of collapse and nearly dragging the entire euro zone with it, the Greek government had no choice but to scale back its profligate ways. Thousands of public employees took to the streets in anger. Now, Madam Speaker, I contrast that with the image of tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators across America coming out to express their frustration with excessive government spending. Rather than demanding more Federal largesse, these taxed-enough-already demonstrators actually came together to petition their government for greater restraint and discipline. This might actually have been a first in human history. It was a powerful illustration of the unique nature of American values. But it was also a testament to just how badly fiscal discipline is needed. This issue is no longer just the purview of budget wonks and economists. The looming crisis of our national debt is a challenge that working Americans recognize very clearly. While the magnitude of a $14 trillion debt is simply too massive to truly comprehend, those with a modicum of common sense can appreciate the crushing weight that will fall on future generations. If we do not immediately change course, the damage could quickly become irreversible. Today's resolution is a clear signal that we are making that change in course. House Resolution 38 is the first step, Madam Speaker, in what will be a long and admittedly difficult process over the next 2 years as we pursue the goal of living within our means. This resolution lays down a marker to return to pre-bailout, pre-binge-spending, pre- stimulus levels. This resolution provides the framework under which we will finally dispense with the fiscal year 2011 budget which the previous Congress, unfortunately, failed to do. Nearly halfway through the fiscal year--we are nearly halfway through the fiscal year--now the imperative is to responsibly finish the work that is really very, very urgent for us to approach and deal with at this moment. Once we move beyond this task, we will immediately pivot to fiscal year 2012. We will craft a budget, we will consider alternatives, with a full debate, and then this House will pass a budget. We will then proceed with consideration of appropriations bills. We will return to the traditional, open process that always governed our appropriations bills prior to the last couple of years. This will ensure full accountability and true collaboration and restore the deliberative traditions and customs of this body. There will be very tough choices ahead. Very tough choices need to be made. There is no doubt that we will engage in heated debate, and I suspect we will in just a few minutes right here. But we simply cannot afford to put off the hard work any longer. Madam Speaker, today we take the first step. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. I thank my friend for yielding. Let me just say to my friend, Mr. Speaker, that this is the beginning of a process. This is a one-sentence resolution that will allow this House to go on record making a strong commitment to reducing the level of spending. And my friend was absolutely right in his opening remarks when he said that everyone wants us to reduce the deficit. And he's right. This may be unprecedented, but we're in unprecedented times. I would yield my friend an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. DREIER. Would the gentleman yield to me to respond?

Mr. DREIER. If I could reclaim my time, Madam Speaker, I would say to my friend, he knows very well that we have gone without a budget so far. We are going to go through the standard budget process.

Mr. DREIER. I am happy to yield my friend 15 seconds, Madam Speaker.

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to say to my very good friend from Seattle that I am in complete agreement with the notion of ensuring that we focus time, energy, and effort on paring back waste, fraud, and abuse, especially within the Pentagon. We all know that it's there. And I'm glad that my friend from Worcester raised that issue in his opening remarks. He somehow was arguing that we have left it as sacrosanct. We don't. The focus today is obviously on non-security discretionary spending, and that's exactly what we are trying to do with this first try.

Mr. DREIER. I yield myself an additional 15 seconds to say that I would like to see complete reform of the 1974 Budget Act. I want a joint, bicameral, bipartisan committee to do just that. But then, with the structure we have today, we are going to proceed with the appropriations process so we will be able to do exactly what my friend said. With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to say to my very good friend from Santa Barbara that creating jobs and getting our economy back on track is exactly what this resolution is all about. We all know that, on the sidelines all across this country and around the world, there is capital, there are resources that are waiting to be invested. And once we get our fiscal house in order, the signal that that sends to job creators out there is a very important one. With that, I am very happy to yield 1 minute to my very good friend from Richmond, Virginia, the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Cantor.

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to say to my friend, as we talk about an open process, my Rules Committee colleagues know that just a few minutes ago, for the first time in 4 long years, the Rules Committee reported out a modified open rule that will allow a free-flowing debate tomorrow right here on this House floor. I should say, Madam Speaker, that H. Res. 38 is literally one sentence, which says that this institution is committed to getting our level of spending to 2008 levels or less--or less, Madam Speaker--and I think it's important for us to note that. We have the chairman of the Budget Committee, as I started to say in response to my friend, we have the Appropriations Committee chairman, and we are determined to begin a process. With that, I am happy to yield 2 minutes to my great new friend from Indian Hills, South Carolina (Mr. Mulvaney).

Mr. DREIER. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution that is before us.

Mr. DREIER. Will the gentleman yield?

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

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire of my friend how many speakers he has remaining?

Mr. DREIER.I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. I'm sorry. I was talking to my new colleague, Mr. Mulvaney, here. If the gentleman was yielding to me, I apologize, but he will have to repeat the question.

Mr. DREIER. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DREIER. I thank my friend for yielding. I would like to point to our colleagues, Madam Speaker, H. Res. 38. It is literally a one-sentence measure, a one-sentence measure which says that our goal is to get to 2008 levels of spending or less.

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to say to my good friend, again, that this is the beginning of a process. We have been saddled with a situation where for the first time since the implementation of the 1974 Budget and Impoundment Act, we have no budget. And so what is it we've been left to do? Nearly halfway through the fiscal year, we are faced with this challenge. We now are in a position where we are going to begin going through regular order to ensure that we have a budget, which we didn't do last year, and have an open, free-flowing debate on the amendments through the appropriations process. And I will say to my friend, the defense issues are going to be a high priority when it comes to oversight and scrutiny. With that, Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes to my very good friend and colleague, the distinguished chair of the Committee on the Budget from whom we are going to be hearing later this evening, the gentleman from Janesville, Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. DREIER. I thank my friend for yielding. Let me say, Madam Speaker, that Speaker Boehner, who is the leader of this House, of both Democrats and Republicans alike, and who is obviously the leader of Republicans, said this morning in a meeting, as he has said repeatedly, the House is going to work its will. We are going to do something that hasn't been done, especially in the appropriations process in the last 2 years. We are going to have a debate that will allow a majority of this institution to determine what those numbers are.

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