Jim Nussle

Mr. NUSSLE

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown).

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary Miller), a member of the Committee.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman, I think we saw from particularly the gentleman from Rhode Island probably the biggest contrast between the Republican and the Democrat substitutes. The gentleman from Rhode Island was very clear that the Democrats believe that government can solve people's problems, that government can take care of people, that government can solve all of the ills that our Nation has before it. Republicans believe something just a little bit different, and that is we believe individuals and families make better decisions about their daily lives than the government can for them, and that if we could just keep the resources in their pocket to begin with, they could be empowered to make those decisions. The most important debate of today, March 28, is not happening in the halls of Congress. Do we know where it is happening? It is happening around the kitchen tables of America as families struggle to balance their checkbooks, as they struggle to figure out how to send their kids to college, as they struggle between the decisions of, do I buy Nikes or do I buy Keds, whether we should buy name-brand cereal or should we buy generic. How do I pay my heating bill when I live in California? How do I pay my heating bill when I live in Iowa? How do I make the decisions that face me every single day about mortgages, about paying my visa bill, about my own debt; and when they hear on C-SPAN, which is probably droning in the background as they sit around their kitchen table, and they hear us talking about the debt held by the public and how we are doing such a great job, they say, what about me? What about my debt? How much money are you taking from me? It is almost April 15. These people have paid their taxes, and they find out, we have more money than we need. Mr. Chairman, we are balancing the budget. We have this done now for the fifth year in a row, number one; number two, the most debt reduced by any budget that has ever been provided, and there is still money left over. After paying for all of the Medicare reform with a prescription-drug benefit, there is still money left over. With all of Social Security set aside so that we can make sure that generations to come have got Social Security to retire, and there is still money left over. With an 11.5 percent increase in education, there is still money left over. Increases for military, for agriculture, a number of other opportunities and priorities within the budget, and there is still money left over. I would say to my friends, it is not your money. It is not my money. It is their money, and they deserve it back, because they have paid enough, they have paid too much. We have met the priorities of this budget, and it is time to give them a refund. There is no 7-Eleven in the country that once you have paid for your gas and your Snickers bar and your Coca Cola or whatever it might be and you give the person a $20 bill and the bill comes up to only about $18, who would keep the change? In fact, in Iowa, they would even run out into the parking lot and chased you down to give you your change. Mr. Chairman, let us give the American people back their change, and let us do it today.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson), the subcommittee chairwoman in charge of Medicare.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock), a very able, new member of our committee and the president of the freshman class.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson), a new member of the Committee on the Budget.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, since no one has shown me the Medicare or Social Security cuts in my budget, I yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), a friend and colleague from the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I share the gentleman's belief that the President will continue his commitment for full funding, and there is room within this budget function to accommodate that request.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the very distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht), a member of the committee.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson).

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Fletcher), a member of the Committee.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis). (Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. NUSSLE. Yes.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds to respond very briefly to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm). Mr. Chairman, let me say to my friend from Texas, there is no one in this House that has put together more budgets than the gentleman from Texas. I respect the quality of his work and I respect his concerns about the priorities we have laid out. His budget is my second favorite. However, I support the committee mark and the Committee on the Budget, and I appreciate the tenor and the quality of the debate today with regard to the Blue Dog budget. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu), the vice chairman of the Committee on the Budget. (Mr. SUNUNU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman), a member of the committee.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu), the very distinguished vice chair of the Committee on the Budget. (Mr. SUNUNU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)