Congress Passes Fiscally Responsible Budget without Raising Taxes

Last week I voted in favor of a budget that will finally put our nation on the path to fiscal health and responsibility.  The Senate and the House reached an agreement that would fund critical national priorities while balancing the budget by 2012.  It provides much needed resources to children’s health, education and veterans’ health programs without raising taxes or borrowing more money.   I am pleased that the new Majority has re-affirmed its commitment to fiscal responsibility by approving this budget so that we may build an economically stronger nation for our children and grandchildren. 

I have included below my floor speech as prepared for delivery in support of the budget resolution.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from South Carolina, the chairman, for producing an excellent budget for which every Member should vote.

   Responsible people do not pay their bills by borrowing from their children. Responsible people analyze what they can afford, spend only that and save what they can.

   For too long, this Congress has labored under a culture of irresponsibility: spend what you want to, hand out tax cuts, and let someone else worry about it down the line.

   This budget ends that culture of irresponsibility, and it stands for one clear principle over and over again. We will not run this government on borrowed money, period. We wish to double the number of children covered by the children's health insurance program and we will. But when we do so, we will pay for it without borrowing more money.

   Most of us absolutely are committed to extending the tax breaks for middle class families that help them survive, but when we do so, we will do so without borrowing more money from the Chinese, from the Germans, and from our grandchildren.

   The easy thing to do around here is to spend more, tax less and borrow more. What it gets you is higher mortgage rates, higher car loan rates, more unemployment, more debt and no explanation whatsoever to the next generation in this country.

   Today marks a turning point away from the culture of irresponsibility, toward a culture of responsibility for the future of the people of this country.

   I urge both Republican and Democratic Members to vote ``yes'' on this budget. 

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