Kendrick Meek

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, you go back and you say, well, the majority side says, well, we are doing fine. We want to cut the deficit in half. Do not worry. Let us do it. Trust us. Well, ``trust us'' has gotten us to this point and this has to stop, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, as we come in for a close there is so much information to share there is just not enough time to do it, but it is important that we go through that to make sure that not only Members on the majority side know, the American people know, Mr. Speaker, that we are doing everything in our power to be able to stop them from selling our country off to foreign nations. Let me illustrate this a little bit more. The U.K. owns $223.2 billion of our debt, Mr. Speaker. I think that is important to identify. You also have Germany. Germany owns $65.7 billion of U.S. debt. That is what they own of this country. OPEC nations, including Saudi Arabia and other countries, $67.8 billion of our debt. This is what they own of the United States of America. It troubles me to put this on the silhouette of our country, but I think it is important that we break this down so the Members know exactly what they are doing. Taiwan, some may have products and toys from Taiwan, and you say ``little Taiwan.'' Guess what? Little Taiwan owns $71.3 billion of our debt. People are so concerned about China, Mr. Speaker, and I am a member of the Armed Services Committee. We are all sworn to protect this country. Ms. Wasserman Schultz, yourself included, Mr. Ryan and other Members in this Chamber, but guess what? Red China, Communist China owns $249.8 billion of U.S. debt. The Republican majority is so much out of control until we are running to countries that are communist countries saying, buy our debt. We need it. We cannot stop ourselves. We cannot help ourselves. Canada, some folks up on the northern border like to go over to Canada but guess what they own? $58.8 billion of the American pie. You also have Korea, Korea, $65.5 billion of the American apple pie. And guess what, Japan, the island of Japan, some folks look at Japan on the map, Mr. Speaker, and say, well, it is not as big as the United States of America. But guess what? They own $682.8 billion of U.S. debt. We are well on our way, Mr. Speaker, to half of our debt being owned by foreign nations, some that we have some issues with. So Ms. Wasserman Schultz talked about secret port deals and all this stuff, this is what is going on right now. Mr. Ryan, we are going to bring this out as many times as possible. I want the majority side to figure out a positive way to talk about how we owe these countries that I have put here, and others that are unnamed, this kind of money.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Ryan and I had to run down to an Armed Services Committee meeting. We had a roll call vote. And of course we want to be there for every vote. That is the reason why the people sent us to Washington. I think, Mr. Speaker, it is important to verbalize that those of us on the Democratic side of the aisle have tried to do everything we could to stop the Republican majority and the President from running this country literally into the debt where it is now. Foreign nations owning what they own. I just want to come for the record because I believe in third party validators. March 30, 2004, Republicans voted 209 to 209, Republicans vote against our resolution 209 to 209 to reject the motion by Representative Mike Thompson to instruct conferees to include PAYGO requirements in that budget, in the FY 2006 budget resolution, in 2004. I am sorry. That was 2004 vote number 97. A similar measure was on May 5, 2004, Republicans voted 208 to 215. They voted 215, we voted 208 to reject a similar motion by Representative Dennis Moore of Kansas, Democrat. That is 2004 vote number 145. Another resolution or a vote that we put forth, an amendment similar to November 18, 2004. Republicans voted to block a consideration by Congressman Stenholm at that time to not raise the debt limit which also had PAYGO requirements, not to increase the debt limit. It also had PAYGO requirements. That is 2004 vote number 534. There are a couple of other votes that you have, Mr. Ryan. Would you call those out.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. You know, Mr. Ryan, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, I think it is important for us to continue to say it and say it again, that this Congress, the majority side has the President's back. It has the President's back. I think it is important, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, that we continue to explain that and let it be known they are more committed to the President's back versus the American people's back, and I think it is important that you continue to outline that.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. OPEC. Again, Mr. Ryan, it is just amazing. I want to put my Secretary of Treasury's picture up, Mr. John W. Snow. Like I say, he is an accountant type of figure within our government. We appreciate his service to our country, appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate. You know, you have seen this letter before about where Secretary Snow wrote one of our respected Senators on the other side basically saying, ``I will be unable to continue to finance government operations if we don't raise the debt ceiling.'' It said, ``Currently the limit is $8.184 trillion, and we will breach that by February 2006.'' Well, the month of February has passed, and, guess what? We got another letter right here dated February 16, 2006, to the Honorable Ranking Member John Spratt on the Democratic side on the Budget Committee. This is what it says. I am going to read it slowly. On December 29, Mr. Ryan, that is this letter right here, I want to make sure the Members see it.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. There you go. I do not how to do it.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. This was actually the 29th. Mr. Speaker, on the 29th of December, I was back in Miami with my family. We were finished polishing off what was left over from Christmas dinner, what have you, looking forward to New Year's. You all were doing the family thing. But that letter was written saying we need to raise the debt ceiling, when no one was paying attention. Now it comes down to, ``On December 29, I wrote the Congress regarding the need to increase the statutory debt limit. Because the debt limit has not risen, I must inform the Congress, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 8438(h)(2) that in my determination, by reason of the public debt limit, I will be unable to fully invest in the Government Security Investment Fund, called the G Fund, of the Federal Employees Retirement System in special interest-bearing Treasury securities beginning on February 16.'' Mr. Ryan and Mr. Delahunt, this letter was written on February 16. So that means that the Secretary, Mr. Snow, had to suspend. He waited until the last day. He didn't say in 2 weeks I am going to have to suspend payments to the G Fund, which is the retirement system for Federal employees. He waited until the day he could no longer wait any longer to write this letter. He is informing the Congress on that day. The statute governing the G Fund explicitly authorized the Secretary of Treasury to suspend the investment to the G Fund to avoid breaching the statutory debt limit. Now, let me just tell you, he goes on and on and on. But the bottom line is, gentlemen, that the Secretary now has to exercise his statutory authority to freeze payments to the G Fund. I want to just say to the Federal employees, because some of them work here in this building, within this Congress, he goes on in the second paragraph saying, ``We can replenish it when you raise the debt ceiling.'' I want to tell you something, and I want to let the Secretary know on behalf of the Republican Congress, even though I am a Democrat, if we were in charge, Mr. Speaker, I wouldn't have to ink up this rubber stamp, and I am going to do it on behalf of the Republican majority and just go ahead and rubber-stamp it for him, because, guess what? That debt ceiling is going to be raised. I guarantee you, just like before, in the past, every Democrat will vote against raising that debt ceiling, because it will be giving our country away to other countries financially. That seems to not be a value of the Republican majority. I just want to point something out. I have already read this letter.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. OPEC.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Delahunt, if I may reclaim my time, I am going to tell you right now, you are talking about giving the country away. We are at the point where half of our debt is going to be owned by foreign nations. If I may, I just want to, if I can, like you said, bear with me for a minute. I want to make sure that all of you can bear with me for a minute. You have seen this chart before. The President and this Republican Congress. Well, let me just go ahead and put the Republican Congress on here. We want to make sure that they get good credit for this, because the President could not do it by himself. $1.05 trillion has been borrowed by this administration within 4 years between 2001-2005. Forty-two Presidents before President Bush and this Republican Congress were only able to borrow $1.01 trillion: 224 years. World War I, Mr. Speaker, Vietnam, Korea, Great Depression. You name it. Hurricanes. You name it. Earthquakes. You name it. $1.01 trillion, 224 years. $1.05 trillion and counting, if the Republican Congress is not stopped. What does this mean, Mr. Ryan? Well, this is a map of our great country, the United States of America. We even thought enough to make sure that everyone is in there, Florida Keys and Hawaii and the great State of Alaska. What does it mean? Well, in that $1.16 trillion that Mr. Ryan talked about as it relates to the foreign investment, Korea owns a little bit of the American pie coming in at $56.5 billion of our debt. Well, we can go on down. Germany. Everybody has a piece of this thing thanks to this Republican Congress and the President of the United States. Germany comes in at $65.7 billion. This bothers me putting these countries on this map, but I just want to make sure, because it is up to us to break this thing down so not only the Members know exactly what they are doing to the country, but not for the country, and they understand exactly what is going on here, because I do not want anyone to say on our watch that this happened and we did not try to do something about it. Now, the UK, quote unquote our friend and partner. They own a piece of the American pie at $223.2 billion, buying our debt. Meanwhile, the President says, follow me. The Republican Congress says, we know exactly what we are doing. Taiwan. Taiwan. People laugh, oh, Taiwan this, Taiwan what. But guess what? They own $71.3 billion of the American pie and our debt. That means that they own something. The President says he wants an ownership society. Hello. It is going to other nations. Our neighbor, Canada. I am going to put them right here: $53.8 billion that they own of our debt. That means that we owe them; financially we owe them. Just got finished talking about Red China, Communist China. A lot of our jobs are in China. A lot of Americans have to train Chinese workers to take over their jobs, and then they are fired and they are put on some sort of government assistance. China comes in at a whopping $249.8 billion. A whopping $249.8 billion, using a lot of our money because they have a positive trade with us, and we have negative trade with them. But better yet, you let the Republican majority tell you, and the President tells you, oh, we know exactly what we are doing, do not worry, we got you. OPEC nations. Mr. Delahunt, I want you to talk further about this, including Saudi Arabia, comes in at $67.8 billion of the American apple pie, the American apple pie. And Japan, the island of Japan I must add, comes in big time, $682.8 billion. $682.8 billion. Mr. Ryan, it is not the Meek Report, the Delahunt Report or the Ryan Report. This is reality. And these numbers, Mr. Speaker, as you talk about third-party validators, are from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. And I guarantee you, Mr. Snow does not report to us or anyone that has a Democrat behind their name. And anyone, I challenge them on the Republican side to march out here and start talking about how they are going to explain this, how they are going to explain selling America to other countries. How they are going to explain with a straight face, come in here and say, we should make tax cuts permanent for billionaires, meanwhile we are borrowing from other nations to pay for it. How do you explain that, Mr. Delahunt? So when you start talking about special deals on ports and folks come out and say, well, I did not know anything about that. Wow, that is not anything new. I did not know anything about the fact that there were not any weapons of mass destruction. I am tired of folks saying they do not know and we were wrong. I am tired of that. That is not the American way, Mr. Delahunt.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. We have the Republican Congress, the Republican majority. We have the rubber stamp Republican Congress. The staff is trying to find some red ink for me. They brought some black ink, but I need some red ink. We need to stamp this bigger. So I think we will get that by the end of the week. But I think it is important, Mr. Ryan, that we point out to the American people and also to the majority that enough is enough. It is not their country, it is our country, it is all of our country. And the bottom line is we cannot sit idly by and let historians say some Members of Congress did not participate in trying to stop what is happening right now.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. They have the desire and the will to be coached by this administration into a fiscal nightmare, and that is what has happened, and that is what is happening throughout. Mr. Ryan, would you please get that chart, because I think it is time for us to really get into the nitty-gritty, because folks do not understand, Mr. Speaker, they just think, Mr. Delahunt, that the 30- Somethings, we just kind of get together over a hot dog and a Diet Coke and say, Well, what are we going to say today? What are we going to share with Members today? But, guess what, Mr. Speaker? We have third-party validators, and we have the facts here and we want to share that at this time.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Delahunt, you know what OPEC means and what they owe? I just want to make sure, Mr. Speaker, in case someone may say, well, they pointed out the obvious. Some may say the negative, if you ask the Republican majority. Oh, they are so negative. Well, guess what? We believe in telling the American people the truth.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Delahunt?

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Maybe that version is different now since he is no longer on the payroll of the Department of Homeland Security. I do not know. Maybe.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Delahunt, I can guarantee you this: on some given Tuesday morning about a year and a couple of months ago, I guarantee you that every last one of our constituents, if we had a sign out saying that we will rubber-stamp bad ideas, we would not be in Congress. We just would not be here. And time after time the Republican majority does it. I mean, let us just get a rubber stamp. Staff, can we get a rubber stamp? I want to get a rubber stamp and the ink should be red, and it should say: We have the President's back no matter what. No matter what. If it puts our country in debt to other countries, no matter what. If it comes down to a lack of intelligence and putting our men and women in harm's way, no matter what, we are with the President. The American people, we will tell them something when it comes down to election time through marketing commercials, but we are here to serve the President. I mean, that is what I am hearing from the majority side. Imagine, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, before I yield to you, if there was a Democratic President in the White House right now? Imagine. For far less this Congress, Mr. President, moved to impeach the President of the United States, for far less. So, Mr. Delahunt, I am so glad that you took us through memory lane about what people have said, especially when it comes down to Mr. Brownie, whom we do not necessarily hold high up as a person that we take a great deal of input from, Mr. Brownie; but I think it is important that we understand exactly and spell out to the Members and the American people what they have said, what they are doing. And our purpose for being here is to say that, listen, a lot of this would not be going on if the oversight were there.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. With that, thank you, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Delahunt. We would like to thank the Democratic leader for the time.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. That is us.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. And, Mr. Ryan, those decisions would be made if we had Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, if we had the Democrat leadership team.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. No, they are saying that they are going to cut taxes. Only we have balanced the budget, the Democratic Congress.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Not this borrow money from foreign countries stuff. Again, in Spratt substitute amendment to Resolution 393, 2005 budget, again, voted down 224, not one Republican voted to pay as we go, Mr. Speaker. Now what I am going to do, Mr. Ryan, when we come back in an hour, I am going to read off other examples, at least five others within the last couple of years. We have tried to put this country on the right track. But guess what? The Republican majority has blocked us.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. What this is saying is basically that we want to balance the budget, we want to pay as we go, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Delahunt, let me just real quickly, because our hour is coming to an end. We, the Democrats, Mr. Spratt who is our Democratic leader on the Budget Committee, 2006 budget resolution failed 165-264. Republicans 0-28. The bottom line, no Republicans voted for it.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, we are not going to focus on this right now.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thanks to you both for your kind remarks.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to one of our community's genuine unsung leaders, the late Leroy Richardson. His untimely passing on December 22, 2005 has truly left a deep void in our midst. In many ways, this quiet but dignified leader represented the best and the noblest of our community. He was a man of strong faith who was known for his remarkable generosity. He was a dedicated member of the New Shiloh Baptist Church, where he faithfully worshipped and served under the late Rev. Dr. Arthur Jackson, Jr. and under its current pastor, the Rev. D.L. Powell. Known as a man of limitless passion and dedication to the well-being of his fellow men, Mr. Richardson was a leader who went out of his way to focus on the socioeconomic well-being of countless families that came to know of his caring and compassion. Aside from his interest in the funeral industry, he founded a very successful business known today as the Richardson-Jackson Removal Service, Inc. He served for many years as President of the #3 Usher Ministry and he was also a member of the Trustee Ministry, Assistant Lead-Servant of the Couples Ministry and the Assistant Director of Operations for the New Shiloh Baptist Church. Though a highly private individual, he dedicated his life to the service of others. In so doing, he symbolized everything that is good and noble about the American spirit of idealism and optimism in serving his fellowmen. Our community truly feels the loss of a decent and caring man in the late Leroy Richardson, and I know my colleagues join with me in celebrating his life and his many good works on behalf of our community.