Jeb Hensarling

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Chair, may I inquire how much time is remaining on our side.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, first, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, and I want to thank all those who contributed to this underlying legislation. I thank them for their good work on behalf of our Nation's veterans. I myself am not a veteran. I did not serve my Nation in uniform. My grandfather did. He served during World War II. My father did. He served during Korea. My brother did. He served during the Cold War. So I have the highest respect for the men and women who serve our Nation in uniform. Mr. Chairman, as we approach the annual debate on our budget, one thing that I think that we hold in common, although there are many differences in our parties, is that we all believe that our veterans and especially our veterans health care ought to be one of the most important priorities that we have as a Nation. And as we continue to fight this war on terror, we know we are creating more veterans with more health care needs. During the last congressional recess, I spent a lot of time visiting with the veterans of the Fifth Congressional District in Texas that I have the honor and pleasure of representing. I heard many good comments, frankly, about VA health care and some complaints. And I suppose, Mr. Chairman, that one of the most important complaints I heard was the complaint on the waiting time in order to actually get the appointment that the veteran has requested. Now, I know that great strides have been made in reducing these waiting times. I know that the veterans health care system is serving entire new populations that they didn't serve years ago. And this is a good thing. But I still would hope that, number one, we could understand exactly the challenges that our veterans are facing and see if there are not some commonsense solutions, as earlier the gentlelady from Texas, my colleague, said, that essentially we can save time and save money and still help our veterans. This amendment is a very simple amendment. I hope it is a very noncontroversial amendment. It simply directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to study the average length of time between the desired date for which a veteran seeks a scheduled medical appointment and the date in which the appointment is actually completed. Now, I know that the vast majority of appointments are completed within this 30-day window, but I don't believe this body knows if that means the bulk of them happened on day 29 or the bulk of them may happen on day six. This is important information we ought to have. I represent a district that is urban, suburban, and rural; and this study would not just concentrate on our urban areas but our rural areas as well, where a number of our veterans go to retire. Additionally, this amendment would ask for the Secretary's recommendations on what we might do to shorten the length of time to 15 days and provide recommendations to our body to do that. Not only veterans in the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, but if you look at the independent budget supported by numerous of our veterans service organizations, they speak to the need to see what we can do to reduce, in many cases, excess waiting times, something they flagged as a strong concern. So I know the VA has made great strides, but there is still work that we can do to serve these people who serve us and protect freedom, the greatest commodity that we have in our land. And by supporting this amendment, Congress can make just one more small step in the direction of supporting our veterans. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman for his support. I know when to take ``yes'' for an answer. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. I hope that the American people, Mr. Chairman, are paying very careful attention to this budget debate. The budget is really about priorities. We have heard about the priorities of the Democratic budget, and that is, let's increase the Federal budget at the expense of the family budget. I can hardly believe what I am hearing with respect to taxes. We know that, having been in power fewer than 90 days, the Democrats have now proposed the single largest tax increase in American history, almost $400 billion of new taxes on the American people. Well, guess what? Last time they were in the majority, Mr. Chairman, they proposed the single biggest tax increase in American history. I suppose there is something to be said for consistency. Now, I have heard from our distinguished chairman, and I have the utmost respect for him, and others that there is really not a tax increase. We just have expiring tax provisions. Well, Mr. Chairman, when people all over America all of a sudden look at their tax bill and see how much they are going to have to pay, I think that is going to be a distinction that is lost on them. Either you are paying more in taxes or you are not. And I might point out, Mr. Chairman, that all the members, all the Democratic members of the Budget Committee had the opportunity to make sure that the tax relief for American families was permanent, that we extended it. But, instead, they voted against it. They will have another opportunity tomorrow. So there is the old saying that your actions are so loud that I can hardly hear your words. And so what are we left with? Again, the Democrats are proposing the single largest tax increase in American history. Now, I have the honor and privilege of representing a lot of good people in the Fifth Congressional District of Texas. And in my home State, the single largest tax increase in American history that Democrats are trying to impose is going to mean an extra $2,700 burden on a family of four in my State. And I asked people, I asked people from the Fifth District, what is this going to mean to you? And I heard from a lady, and I will use first names here, Diana from Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. She said, Congressman, I wanted to let you know that I am a single mom that does not receive any type of child support, and an increase of this amount would break me. I would be at risk of losing my home with this type of increase. I am writing to ask your help to keep this from happening. This would be devastating to middle-income families in my situation. Mr. Chairman, what the Democrats don't seem to realize again is when they spend more money on the Federal budget, they are taking money away from the family budget with their single largest tax increase in American history. Let's hear from Brian from Dallas. Dear Congressman Hensarling, the tax increase would most likely affect our ability to pay tuition and books for our daughter to go to college. She is a junior this year, and we are trying to save money for her education. The loss of these funds due to an increase in taxes will have a negative impact on our plans for her education. They are taking money away from the family budget. They are putting Diana's home in jeopardy. They are putting the education of Brian's daughter in jeopardy. Vote down this single largest tax increase in American history.

Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I am not sure that the last speaker is reading the same budget that I am. I mean, it is incredible to be lectured here on the whole question of entitlement spending, and the Democrat budget alternative is stone cold silent on the issue, the number one fiscal issue that is challenging our Nation. And don't take my word for it, Mr. Chairman. Look at the testimony of the Congressional Budget Office. Look at the testimony of the General Accountability Office. Look at the testimony of our Federal Reserve Chairman, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Director of OMB. Anybody who has any responsibility for fiscal policy in America will tell you that we are on the verge, we are on the verge, and to paraphrase the Comptroller General, we are on the verge of being the first generation in America's history to leave the next generation with a lower standard of living. So when we get lectured about entitlement spending, why is the Democrat alternative silent on it? Why have all the Democrats refused to join us in doing anything to save Social Security, save Medicare, save Medicaid for the next generation? Let's look here. They speak about what has happened in the Federal debt, and they should be concerned about it. But when it increases $3 trillion, look at what has happened to the unfunded liability in Social Security and Medicare when they refuse to do anything, anything to reform entitlement spending. If you do not reform Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, they will not be there for the next generation. They will not be there. If you do not reform them, you lose them. So how their budget, Mr. Chairman, can be described as fiscally responsible when they are absolutely silent on the number one fiscal issue that faces our Nation is beyond me.

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman, the ranking member, for yielding once again; and I wish to follow up on his insights about this single largest tax increase in American history that the Democrats are trying to impose. Again, Mr. Chairman, it is reminiscent of what they did 12 years ago, the last time they were in the majority. Again, as I said, they at least get an A for consistency. But, Mr. Chairman, this is very, very serious business; and we need to take a good hard look at the numbers. But beyond the numbers, Mr. Chairman, we need to look at the people. Earlier this evening, I read some correspondence from some constituents from the Fifth District of Texas that I have the honor of representing in Congress. These are people who will be hurt by the single largest tax increase in American history that the Democrats are attempting to impose upon America today. I heard from Carrie of Dallas, and she said: ``Jeb, you asked us to let you know what we'd be sacrificing if I had to spend another $2,200 in taxes. Well my family's basic needs may not be met, food, shelter, school clothes for the kids. Not to mention not being able to pay my creditors. Please continue to do your best to help the working class and families.'' Well, Mr. Chairman, I want to let Carrie in Dallas know that I want her to be able to keep her earnings, and I am going to fight this single largest tax increase in American history that the Democrats are trying to impose. Mr. Chairman, I heard from Lorri in Palestine, TX: ``Dear Congressman, I have a son going to college and my mother is on a fixed income and needs my help more times than less. The tax relief I received gave me the opportunity to help my family with their needs. If my taxes are increased again, my family would suffer tremendously.'' Well, Mr. Chairman, I want to let Lorri in Palestine know that I am going to do everything I can to make sure she can keep more of her earnings and fight this single largest tax increase in America's history. Mr. Chairman, I had a particularly poignant letter from Linda from Rowlett, TX, that I have the honor to represent in Congress. She said: ``This tax increase would make the difference whether my daughter and her husband would be able to purchase a car or not. For my husband and I, it helps us continue with his radiation treatments for his prostate cancer. It allows us to continue providing in-home assistance for my elderly parents, one of whom has Parkinson's and one who has dementia. Please allow us to retain this money for our needs. Please do not let our government take additional tax dollars from us. Please allow us to decide how this money will be spent. Please do not allow the government to decide for us.'' Well, Mr. Chairman, again, I have a message for Linda of Rowlett. I am going to do everything I can to ensure that she gets to keep her earnings for her family, for her health care needs, for her housing needs, her transportation needs. Vote against this largest tax increase in American history.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. I thank my good friend and the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule. It is anti-family, it is anti-tax, it is fiscally irresponsible. And I agree with my colleague from Texas. I can hardly believe some of the things I am hearing on the House floor. The Democrats, Madam Speaker, obviously want to have it both ways. They claim on the one hand that they have done this incredible job of balancing the Federal budget, and then they claim that they actually preserve tax relief in the budget. But if anybody would bother to read the document, the only way they achieve balance is by taking away all of the tax relief that we have enjoyed in the last several years. They would bring forth the single largest tax increase in American history. And guess what, Madam Speaker? Twelve years ago, the last time that they were in power, guess what they did? They brought forth the single largest tax increase in American history. Certainly they at least get an A for consistency, but you have to give them an F for fiscal responsibility. I would point out to the preceding speaker, the gentlewoman from Connecticut, and I have the honor of serving with her on the Budget Committee, had the Democrats felt so strongly about preserving the tax relief, they had ample opportunity in committee to preserve the tax relief for American families, and they chose not to do it. This is a budget which may be worthy of a Pulitzer Prize in fiction. It is full of Orwellian-speak. It is something that is worthy of the Twilight Zone. It makes no sense. You cannot claim that you are not reducing spending, you are preserving tax relief, and you are balancing budget all at the same time. You are taking three different sides of the argument. It does not wash. This Democrat budget is also silent, absolutely stone cold silent on the number one fiscal issue facing our Nation, and that is out-of- control entitlement spending. If we don't reform these entitlement programs, it will lead to a doubling of taxes on the American people, our children, and our grandchildren. The single largest tax increase in history will pale in comparison if we don't act today. And this is a budget for the next election, it is not a budget for the next generation. You can't have a fiscally responsible budget and remain silent on the number one fiscal challenge facing the Nation today. If you want to save Medicare, if you want to save Social Security, if you want to save Medicaid, you have to reform these programs; and the Democrat budget, again, is stone cold silent. They speak of their reserve funds, but, Madam Speaker, there is no reserve and there is no funds. Again, this is fiction. This is pure, unadulterated fiction. What isn't fiction is the largest single tax increase in American history that is going to fall upon American families. It is going to fall upon them hard. Because every time the Democrats increase the Federal budget, they are cutting some family budget. They are taking away from a family's ability to send a child to college. They are taking away from a family's ability to help a parent with long-term health care. They are taking away a family's ability to buy that first home, make a down payment on their first home. Every time you take away, every time you increase the Federal budget, you are taking away from the family budget. So these two documents stand in stark contrast. The Democrat budget, the single largest tax increase in history. Again, this contrast could not be more stark. The single largest tax increase in American history. And I remind my colleagues on the other side to please, please think about the families that are in your district that actually pay these taxes. You may think we are having a debate on how much our society is going to spend on health care and housing and education. That is not the debate I think we are having. I think we are having a debate about who is going to do that spending. Is it going to be government bureaucrats, or is it going to be American families? In my State of Texas, the average Texas family is going to have to pay an additional $2,700 a year under the Democrat plan to have the single largest tax increase in American history. I asked my constituents, Madam Speaker, what is this going to mean to you? And I heard from several of them. I heard, for example, from Diana in Mesquite, Texas. She wrote, ``Dear Congressman, I wanted to let you know that I am a single mom that does not receive any type of child support, and an increase of this amount would break me. I would be at the risk of losing my home with this type of increase. I am writing to ask your help to keep this from happening. This would be devastating to middle-income families.'' That is what Diana in Mesquite wrote. Brian in Dallas, ``This tax increase would affect our ability to pay tuition and books for our daughter to go to college. While she's a junior this year, we are trying to save money for her education. But as the cost of education increases this year, the loss of these funds, this increase in taxes, will have a negative impact on our ability to send her to college.'' Again, this largest single tax increase in American history will have devastating impacts on American families. So the two budgets sit in stark contrast. One preserves the tax relief that has helped bring down the deficit, has given us the most tax revenues we have ever had before. We are awash in tax revenues, because people rolled up their sleeves, they went out, they worked, they saved. And that is why we have to vote down this rule.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentleman for his contribution this evening. I thank him for his leadership on the Budget Committee. And he has brought up a very important point, Mr. Speaker, that we have yet to talk about this evening, and that is, as the Democrats offer up their single largest tax increase in American history, that is like the appetizer. That is the appetizer. As the gentleman from Alabama talked about his family, and he has a wonderful family, and we all think about our children and our grandchildren, but do we really think enough about them? Because let me tell you, the single largest tax increase in history is just the start. The Comptroller General, the Chief Fiduciary Officer of the Federal Government has said that if we don't begin to reform entitlement spending, this spending explosion in Washington, unless, as a society, we find a better way, a smarter way to deliver health care and retirement security at a more reasonable cost, we are going to be on a path to double taxes, double taxes on our children and grandchildren in just one generation. And that is why I say, the single largest tax increase in American history, that is just the appetizer. The entree is, because the Democrats have no reforms, no reforms of entitlement spending in their budget whatsoever, which is the single largest fiscal challenge we face, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, the Federal Reserve Chairman, the Secretary of Treasury, anybody who is responsible for fiscal or monetary policy in America, the Democrat budget is silent on it. They are putting us on a path to double taxes on our children. And the Comptroller General, and I paraphrase, has said, we are on the verge of being the first generation in American history to leave the next generation with a lower standard of living. And as the father of a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old, I will not stand idly by and let that happen. I will raise my voice about this single largest tax increase in American history. Mr. Speaker, we are joined by another great freshman member of the Republican Party who has been outspoken on these budget issues and somebody else who hasn't lost his ability to be outraged on how this will impact, the single largest tax increase in American history will impact the people in his district. And I am happy now to yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan).

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, tonight we start an important debate that we have here each year in this Nation, and that is a debate over the annual budget. I know for a lot of people, Mr. Speaker, this is a debate about numbers, kind of a green-shade visor exercise, but frankly, it is a lot more than that. It has a lot to do with values. It has a lot to do with principles. And it is a debate that the American people need to pay very close attention to. Clearly, we know the results of the last election: there is a new majority party. The Democrat majority has taken control, which they have not had in 12 years. They won the election fair and square. But, Mr. Speaker, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I have the pleasure and honor of serving on the House Budget Committee, and just this last week the Democrats voted out their budget that has the single largest tax increase in American history in it. Now, Mr. Speaker, the last time that the Democrats had control of the House, guess what they did, they passed the single largest tax increase in American history. Again, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The single largest tax increase in American history. Mr. Speaker, people have to know what this is going to mean to them. I have the honor and privilege of representing people in the Fifth District of Texas. It starts out in the city of Dallas, takes in the southeast Dallas County suburbs, and six really great east Texas counties full of small business people and agricultural producers. For the people in the State of Texas, for the people in the Fifth District of Texas, that is going to mean an additional tax burden for the average family of four of $2,700 a year. That is $2,700 a year, Mr. Speaker, that could have gone into funding the family budget that is instead going to go into funding the Federal budget. And every time, every time that we increase that Federal budget, we are taking money away from some valuable family budget. Now, we are always going to hear from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, the Democrats, that these vital investments are needed for housing programs and for nutritional programs and health care programs. And certainly we need a social safety net. But, Mr. Speaker, this isn't really a debate about how much we spend on these vital programs. The real question is, who is going to do the spending? Democrats believe government should do the spending. We believe that families should do the spending. And when it comes to my constituents in the State of Texas, they need that $2,700. They need that $2,700 to help send a child to college, to help finance higher education. They need that $2,700 to make a down payment on their first home and help realize the great American Dream for their family. They need that $2,700 a year to help with long-term care for an elderly parent. I mean, these are the priorities of American families. Where do we believe that somehow we have all this perfect knowledge in Washington, D.C.? I mean, Mr. Speaker, how much is enough? The single largest tax increase in American history is now being proposed by the Democrats, and what is this going to do? What is this going to do to families all across America? Every family in America who is paying attention to this debate ought to go and look at their checkbook, and every night, every week they have to get around that kitchen table and they have to make priorities, something that Congress isn't particularly good at, and they have to decide how they are going to meet their bills. And yet here is the Democrat majority saying, well, we need an extra $2,700 a year from your family because we know better than you do about the health care you need and the education you need. You can't handle that yourself. We need to do it for you. That is just one difference, one difference that we have. Because in the Republican budget, we know the American people work hard for their money. We know they roll up their sleeves and work hard to put food on the table to feed their family, to put a roof over their family's head. There is no tax increase on the poor beleaguered taxpayer, no tax increase on American families, no tax increase on small businesses in the Republican budget. But what do you find in the Democrat budget? The single largest tax increase in American history. Now, Mr. Speaker, I have been joined by a number of my colleagues tonight who know a lot about what this Democrat budget would mean to their constituents and would mean to their people back home. I am very happy that we are joined by the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), and I would like to yield to her to get her perspective on this single largest tax increase in American history.

Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership in this body on issues that are important to taxpayers of America and taxpayers of North Carolina. Again, Mr. Speaker, we are very privileged tonight to have Republican members of the House Budget Committee and members of the Republican Study Committee, the conservative caucus within Congress, Congress' largest caucus, made up of people who want to further the conservative cause of more freedom and more opportunity and limited government and accountable government, and people who understand that every time we inflate the Federal budget we are taking money away from the family budget. Again, this single largest tax increase in history that the Democrats are proposing may fuel their vision of Big Government, but it doesn't do much to help fuel the budgets of families throughout our Nation, including some families in the State of Nebraska. And I am very happy that we have been joined by one of the outstanding freshmen Members within our GOP ranks. At this time I would yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentleman for his contribution. I thank him for his leadership within the freshman class. Again, Mr. Speaker, people need to know that once a year we come together and as a Nation debate what the Federal budget ought to be. There are clearly those who think that the American people are undertaxed, and I suppose that is why the Democrats have proposed the largest single tax increase in American history. But talking to working mothers in the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, talking to small business people and talking to farmers and ranchers, they don't seem to think that they are undertaxed. They think that Washington spends too much. But, instead, the Democrat response is almost $400 billion of tax increase. Nationwide, that is about $2,400, $2,500 per family of four that is going to be taken out of the family budget and put into the Federal budget if they succeed in their largest single tax increase in American history. They are going to eliminate the marriage penalty relief. They are going to bring back the marriage penalty so people who fall in love and get married have to pay more taxes than if the two were single. They are going to cut the child tax credit in half. They are going to cut it in half as working families and working mothers all over America are struggling to meet the needs of their children and of child care. And for the working poor, this one is so hard to believe, but for the working poor in the 10 percent bracket, they are going to raise their taxes 50 percent. Fifty percent, Mr. Speaker, on the working poor and take them back to the 15 percent bracket. Where does it all end? I myself hail from the Lone Star State of Texas. We are what is known as a sales tax State. We do not have a State income tax. We are very blessed that we do not have one. Yet there has been this inequity in the Tax Code that allows taxpayers who come from a State income tax State to deduct their taxes, but for those of us from a sales tax State, we don't have that benefit. Well, the Republicans knew that was not equitable, and we passed tax relief so all Americans would enjoy tax relief, whether or not they are from a sales tax State or a State income tax State. Now under the Democrats' plan, under the single largest tax increase in America's history, they are going to bring back the penalty if you happen to hail from one of these sales tax States. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that we are joined tonight by another Member who comes from one of those sales tax States, one of the great leaders of the Republican Study Committee, one of the co-authors of the American Taxpayer Bill of Rights. At this time I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing to the floor very important aspects of this debate. Again, Mr. Speaker, I just do not know how anybody can justify this single largest tax increase in American history, almost $400 billion of taxes that are going to get imposed on American families. In Texas, it is going to be taking away $2,700 on average from every family of four. I mean, that is impacting real families in Texas. It is taking away from their family budget. Mr. Speaker, I recently contacted my constituents and I asked them if the Democrats are successful with their plan to put forth the single largest tax increase in American history, what is it going to mean to you? Well, I heard from Diana in Mesquite, and she said: Congressman, I wanted to let you know that I am a single mom that does not receive any type of child support, and an increase of this amount would break me. I would be at risk of losing my home with this type of increase. I am writing to ask your help to keep this from happening. This would be devastating to middle-income families and families in my situation. Again, Mr. Speaker, every time you plus-up, you increase the Federal budget, you are taking away from the family budget. You are taking away from Diana's budget in Mesquite, as she works to try to keep her home. I heard from Brian who came from Dallas, and I asked him, and he said: Congressman Hensarling, the loss of $2,700 would affect our ability to pay tuition and books for our daughter to go to college. While she is a junior this year, we are trying to save money for her education, and as the cost of education increases each year, the loss of these funds due to an increase in taxes will have a negative impact on our plans for her education. Again, what the Democrats are doing with their single largest tax increase in American history is they are getting the family budget. They are making it more difficult. They are making it more difficult for Brian to be able to send his daughter to college. There is no fairness in this. There is no compassion in this. I have heard from many other constituents and the Democrats have to realize once again how devastating this is to American families. It is not their money, Mr. Speaker. They did not earn it. It belongs to the American people. It is their money. They need to use it for their education program. I think it is again important to point out that if the Democrats are successful in their plan to engage in the single largest tax increase in American history, it is going to take away from American families their ability to send their children to college. It is going to take away from their ability to purchase their first homes. It is going to devastate the family budget so that Democrats can bulk up on the Federal budget. This is not fair, Mr. Speaker. This is not right. Another gentleman who has been a great leader within our conference and a great leader in the Budget Committee and somebody who represents the people of south Alabama very well in this institution, who knows about the devastating impact that this Democrat budget could have on family budgets, is the gentleman from Alabama, and I would be happy to yield to Mr. Bonner.

Mr. HENSARLING. We should obviously inform our Democrat colleagues that last I looked, the IRS takes voluntary contributions. So if they don't believe their taxes are high enough, if they don't believe the taxes of their constituents are high enough, they can simply add a zero to that line on the 1040 and send in more. They somehow act that there is a revenue deficiency in Washington, DC. I don't know how much government spending is enough, but just looking over about the last 10 years, I see where the agricultural budget has increased 126 percent, the Federal transportation budget, 97 percent, the education budget, 75 percent, Medicare has increased 137 percent, all at the same time where the family budget has increased about 36 percent. The Federal budget is outpacing the family budget by 3 to 1, 4 to 1. That cannot continue. So, again, we come back to the basic question. Is Washington spending too much, or are the American people undertaxed? I think the gentleman from Alabama has hit the nail on the head.

Mr. HENSARLING. No, it went down again on a straight party line vote. It was a very simple amendment. Budgets are about priorities. At a time our Nation is fighting this war on terror, it was a very simple amendment. It said, you know what? Whatever figure we decide is the right figure for veterans' funding, and I know you can never give enough, but whatever it is, let's make sure we put a floor under it. Let's give it a firewall. Because too often what we find out in what we call the appropriations process up here, sometimes these funds get raided for other purposes, just like Congress has too many times raided the Social Security fund. So this was a simple amendment that said we are going to put a firewall around veterans' spending, and the number that we put in the budget is sacrosanct. Every single Democrat on the Budget Committee voted against that amendment. They voted against veterans. It was not a proud day for the institution.

Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for joining us this evening, for this debate about the very important budget that will be introduced and debated on this floor tomorrow, Mr. Speaker. Another aspect of this debate that is important to note, and I am sure we will hear from our friends on the other side of the aisle, the Democrats, how tax relief over the last several years has somehow been a bad thing for America. I might note, Mr. Speaker, that as we have given small businesses and America's families tax relief, guess what we have? We have more tax revenue. And, in fact, Mr. Speaker, we have more tax revenue than we have ever had in the history of America. We are awash in tax revenue. Why? Because if you let the American people keep more of what they earn, they will save, they will invest, they will work hard. They will expand the automobile transmission shop on one street corner. They will go out and start a barbecue stand on another street corner. It is called entrepreneurial vision. People go out and roll up their sleeves and work hard, and that is what they have done. And not only, Mr. Speaker, are we awash in tax revenue. In this case, tax relief has proven to be part of the deficit solution. We also have new jobs. Since we have had tax relief, we have created 7\1/2\ million new jobs in America. 7\1/2\ million new jobs. The greatest health care program, the greatest nutritional program, the greatest housing program in the history of America is the American free enterprise system and the jobs that it creates. But, Mr. Speaker, if the Democrats go through with their program to have the single largest tax increase in American history, you start taking the jobs away. And somehow they call it compassion when they hand you a government check and they take away your paycheck, because when they increase taxes on American families and they increase taxes on small businesses, they take away our jobs. They take away our careers. They take away our futures. There is nothing fair about that, Mr. Speaker. There is nothing compassionate about that. The Republican budget will ensure that hardworking American families are not burdened with further tax increases. The Republican budget will make sure that the next generation enjoys greater freedom and greater opportunity, and that vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that are going broke, that we reform them and modernize them and that we can save them for the next generation. The Democrat budget is absolutely silent, absolutely silent on the number one fiscal challenge to the next generation. They present a budget for the next election, Mr. Speaker. We are presenting a budget for the next generation. So I hope, Mr. Speaker, that the American people will follow this very important debate closely, because there are two different visions. One believes in the family budget; one believes in the Federal budget. One believes in American families keeping more of what they earn; the other believes in the single largest tax increase in American history. And it is not too late for us to vote for the family budget and against the single largest tax increase in American history.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, again, $74 million for peanut storage, $35 million to NASA, $283 million for dairy products. I question, is this the Democrats' version of fiscal responsibility? Is this their version of reform? Our national security should not be handled so frivolously. The cost of fighting this war obviously is high. The cost of fighting this war is obviously high, but the cost of losing this war is even higher. I would say to my Democrat colleagues, if you don't believe in the mission, if you don't believe that our troops can win, then you have the power to bring them home, and bring them home today. But we shouldn't employ this slow-bleed strategy that could deny our troops vital reinforcements and vital equipment and open up pork-barrel spending to finance it. A great Nation deserves better. We should vote this bill down.

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I think perhaps this is the single worst bill to come to the floor since I have been in Congress. It is likely unconstitutional. It creates 435 Commanders in Chief. It attempts to micromanage the war. It threatens our national security. It contains billions in unrelated spending. It wraps old-fashioned pork in the American flag. * * * Twenty-five million dollars handed out to spinach growers, $74 million for peanut storage, $35 million for NASA.

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, in the interest of having the House have its proceedings move forward, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the offending word or words.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Well, to help answer the question of the gentleman from Georgia, I wasn't in Congress, so therefore I had no amendment to offer.

Mr. HENSARLING. Well, I would apply the statistics in the data that I have seen from the improvements in TANF to this program.

Mr. HENSARLING. I am not sure what data you would be looking for. I believe it's a very important principle. The data that I have seen is the data that I have cited on the benefits of applying a work-related requirement to an income-based program.

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, again, this is a very, very simple amendment. I have no idea what is so cruel and unusual about people having the opportunity to become self-reliant, to earn paychecks instead of welfare checks. The gentleman from Georgia, who spoke with great stridency, I don't question his sincerity; I do question a number of his policies. I have no doubt that the gentleman has voted against tax relief to help create 7\1/2\ million jobs turning welfare checks to paychecks. So the gentleman has different ways of trying to help people. I look at the statistics. What has helped people? What has brought down child poverty rates? What has helped single mothers find self-sufficiency? So I don't understand, after 18 months, after $100 billion of taxpayer money, why it is so bad to say people ought to be on the road to self-sufficiency.

Mr. HENSARLING. Well, as typical, what I would try to do is offer offsets. And I believe that any income-based program of cash assistance or other welfare assistance ought to be tied to a self-sufficiency requirement.