Marilyn Musgrave

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, we've had an interesting discussion here tonight. I am offering an amendment that would propose to reduce the amount by one-half of 1 percent, a mere 50 cents on $100. As we look at this appropriations bill, this is $3.2 billion over last year, or a 6.7 percent increase. My amendment would take it to a 6.2 percent increase. As we think about this, I hear many things from my friends on the other side of the aisle about ``investments.'' You can use that word euphemistically when we talk about investments, because what I'm thinking when I hear that word is tax increase on the American family. We hear many worthy things that this money will be spent for, but there is a philosophical difference in this chamber. And as my friends on the other side of the aisle, Mr. Chairman, talk about us being fringe Members over here, what they're acknowledging is that we were not part of the spending problem for our party. We were the folks in the back of the room raising our hand and saying, we are spending too much money. We do not have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem. As we've seen in recent years under different Presidents and different Congresses, when we lower the tax rate, the revenues increase. So we don't have a revenue problem. What we have is this spending problem. But my friends on the other side of the aisle, as they spoke tonight, Mr. Chairman, they talked about the needs of disabled people and elderly people and safety and highway issues and air travel, but what we have to admit in this Chamber tonight is that there is a finite amount of money, Mr. Chairman. And it doesn't matter how worthy the spending is. There is a finite amount of money. When individuals in this country get up in the morning, get their children ready for school and then they go off to work, they realize that they have to work a long portion of the year to pay their taxes. And every time we have another appropriation bill in front of us, we're getting to the point in this Chamber where it's nearly $82 billion over last year's spending. And the American family knows that they're going to have to work longer in the year before they work long enough to pay their taxes, Mr. Chairman. And I think no matter how worthy the spending is, we need to exercise some fiscal discipline. My friends on the other side of the aisle have said it half jokingly, but referred to us as fringe Members of Congress. And I have to tell you, sometimes we have to be tenacious about reminding our colleagues how we're going down a road where we're going to have that fiscal train wreck. And I am happy to offer this modest proposal tonight to cut this increase, to lower the increase from 6.7 to 6.2 percent increase and exercise the fiscal discipline that I truly believe the American families, the citizens of this country that pay these taxes want us to have. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to yield 4 minutes to my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to my friend from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, could I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to yield 3\1/ 2\ minutes to my friend from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, as I listen to this discussion tonight, I think about how varied the Members of Congress are. There are Members, I dare say, in this Congress that have never had a job, particularly a job that is menial labor. I grew up in a home where we were poor, and at the time that was very difficult; but I look back on that and I'm happy that I learned to work. I'm happy, as a parent, that one of the values that we taught our children was to work and to work hard. It was interesting to watch the experience of my teenagers when they had their first job outside the home. They worked really hard. And some of them had a pay schedule where they got paid after 2 weeks of work. And to see how they responded when they got their first paycheck, because they were startled about how much was taken out of their paycheck because they were anticipating a certain amount of earnings, and they didn't get all that money because they had to pay quite a bit in taxes. And I just am asking for a modest restraint here, one half of 1 percent. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. What I would like to say to the citizens in the Fourth District in Colorado is that I'm very willing to take the increase from a 6.7 to a 6.2 percent increase.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the patriotism and self sacrifice of Air Force COL Danley Elson Straight of Longmont, CO, for his service to both his community and to his country during World War II, the Korean war, and the Vietnam war. Straight was born in Greeley, CO, on October 8, 1922, the 11th of 12 children. After graduating from Greeley High School he earned his bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from Colorado State College of Education. He also served in the Air Force during three wars and retired with more than 30 years of service as a full colonel command pilot. During his career, ``the colonel'' as he is affectionately known, flew more than 29 types of aircraft, including Flack Bait, which is on display in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Straight's years of service to our country are complemented by his service to his community. After retiring from the Air Force in 1976, Straight volunteered with various groups including the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts, the Longmont Rotary Club, Masons and Shriners, the Patient Advocacy Team, St. Vrain Photographic Society, the Salvation Army, Westview Presbyterian Church, and the Rollins Pass Restoration Association, for which he served as president for more than 25 years. Straight's motto was ``Never give up.'' On February 7, 2007, Danley Elson Straight passed away at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Juanita Watson Straight, his 5 children, 10 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I am honored to represent Mr. Straight and the other men and women who have given so much for our freedom. Like so many other members of the ``greatest generation,'' I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing my heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation for the patriotic service of Danley Elson Straight.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. The public education system in Colorado is funded by tax dollars, primarily coming from property taxes.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Well, there is a thing called ``Orwellian speak.'' And when we have a bill that has a 4.8 percent increase and we go to 4.3, that is not a cut.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Well, if the gentleman would yield, that funding is increased in this legislation, and you know it. What is at issue here is how do you define ``cut''? 4.8 to 4.3 increase.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, I think what I should do is purchase a dictionary and have my friend on the other side of the aisle look up what a cut is. When you go from 4.8 percent increase in spending and you take away .5, you end up with a 4.3 percent increase in spending. That is what this legislation does. Even with this modest amendment that I offer, it would still be a 4.3 percent increase. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. If I may answer your question, first, I would like to point out that, I just realized this, up here to my right in the front of the room, in the front of the Chamber, there is a dictionary. Perhaps the gentleman would like to look up the word ``cut.'' Perhaps the gentleman would like to look up the word ``rationalization.'' Because the gentleman knows that there is still an increase of 4.3 percent in this bill, even with this modest amendment. You know what? You can rationalize anything. You can be altruistic with someone else's money. We need to curb spending.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, since we had a rudimentary arithmetic thing here, two plus two equals four, I just want to remind my friend, Madam Chairman, that a 4.8 percent increase minus .5 percent still equals a 4.3 percent increase in spending. With that, I would like to yield 2 minutes to my friend from Florida (Mr. Feeney).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, the amendment that I'm offering today to this appropriations bill would make a cut of just one-half of 1 percent of the overall funding of the bill. You know, my friends on the other side of the aisle, Madam Chairman, are talking about how we are ``fringe'' Members of the House of Representatives. You know, when I go into my district and I talk to people, one thing that they really want Congress to do is rein in spending. We hear lots of individuals say, you know, we have to live within our family budget, how come Congress doesn't have to do that? I was proud to be in the State legislature in Colorado where we had an amendment to our Constitution forcing us to live within our means, so to speak, in the State of Colorado. We could not spend money that we didn't have. Well, here in the Federal Government, it seems that even though as I walk down the hallways of the office buildings, the Longworth House Office Building, I see many signs on easels out in the hall talking about our $8.8 trillion debt. We are being constantly reminded of that. And you know what? I think that is very appropriate. I think every American ought to see that placard and see what we have, $8.8 trillion debt. And as I think about that, I'm just offering the Members of Congress yet another opportunity to do the right thing, the right thing being exercising fiscal discipline, just a modicum of fiscal discipline, 1.5 percent. So the increase in this bill would go from 4.8 increase to 4.3. Now, some people would miscategorize that as a cut. It is not a cut. It is still an increase in spending of 4.3 percent. So I would ask my colleagues to identify with the American people who admire people who can live within their means, who don't spend money that they really don't have, but show the discipline to do the right thing. And I'm asking for this cut today. How many people can visualize a $100 bill? You give someone a $100 bill and say I want you to spend this wisely, but let's just save 50 cents of that $100 bill. How many people would say that that was unreasonable? Madam Chairman, I'm saying today that this Congress needs to start on the right path. I'm asking for a .5 percent amendment to this appropriation bill. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, I won't be at the Fringe Festival this weekend, I will be going home to Colorado. I will be talking to the folks that are working hard every day, raising their children, trying to make ends meet, and worrying about higher taxes. And I think they should be worrying about higher taxes because when we have increases like this, we're going to see those placards in the hallway with a national debt ever increasing. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to my friend from Minnesota (Mr. Kline).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, as I hear the comments from my friends on the other side of the aisle, I would almost remember when my children were small and they actually believed in Santa Claus. They thought that whatever they wanted, they could have. We had to learn some lessons. They had a wish-list, and then we had to live within our means. When I think of the good things, and, by the way, I am very happy to hear that my friend on the other side of the aisle supports abstinence education, when I hear about spending in these areas, there is a finite amount of money. When you are promoting government programs, you are reaching into the pocket of the taxpayer. That is the only place we get our money, from the American taxpayer. And as we think about the largest tax increase in history, I think we ought to realize this burden, and I just picture this enormous burden on our children and our grandchildren that we are leaving. In the meantime, we can be proud of our spending, because we are spending for very noble things, and there are very many noble things in this bill. But what we are doing is we are crushing our children and our grandchildren with this $8.8 trillion debt, this $8.8 trillion debt that is growing under this majority. I was one of the ones in the back of the room, you're right, my friends on the other side of the aisle are right. We spent too much. The Republican Party are guilty of that. But there were those of us who were budget hawks then that said our party not only should cut taxes but should restrain spending. We were saying that and we are saying it now as we see the majority party going down the road at an even more rapid pace, spending more money, increasing that enormous burden on our children and grandchildren. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to this bill. I urge opposition of H.R. 980 because it will force unions' so-called representation on public safety employees. Labor relations between States and their public employees have historically remained at the State level. H.R. 980 would impose Federal law on States that do not meet forced unionism standards defined in this piece of legislation. Furthermore, the bill fails to ensure a secret ballot election for public employees who would be given the right to unionize under this legislation. H.R. 980 would deny thousands of police and firemen the freedom to negotiate directly with their employers. Those who attempt to negotiate on their own behalf could face fines and even firings. Unionizing a public sector workforce also requires hiring and training staff to negotiate with unions and administer union contracts which would impose unnecessary financial burdens on taxpayers. Don't allow the Federal Government to impose costly and inappropriate requirements on State and local governments. State and local governments are capable of managing their own public employees. I urge opposition to H.R. 980, to ensure each State's right to define labor laws for their own public employees.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.