Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011

Floor Speech

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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Chair, the American people spoke loud and clear in November, and they have continued to speak and hold us accountable. Their message is clear: They are overtaxed, this government is overspent, and they have had enough of Washington passing bills, regulations, rules and programs they can't afford and do not want. They have said stop the out-of-control spending.

Washington does not have a revenue problem; Washington has a very serious spending problem. They are ready for us to change the way the system operates. They want the fiscal house in order, and there is a systematic way we can approach this.

In the past couple of years, 26 different States have used this method--indeed, even Tennessee, my State, used it during a time of fiscal crisis. They have replaced billions of dollars in deficit spending and projections with spending cuts, and now it is time for the Federal government to follow the States.

The Republican Study Committee amendment makes an 11-percent cut on our legislative branch spending and a 5 1/2 percent cut in other non-Defense, non-Veteran, non-Homeland Security accounts. This amendment will save $22.2 billion for the balance of this fiscal year and from this year's deficit. I know not everyone is a fan of across-the-board cuts, but many of us are and so are our constituents.

This is a concept that should be implemented at the Federal level. And indeed, it has been used before. President Roosevelt used it during World War II, and from 1942 to 1944 they cut 20 percent. President Truman, with the Korean War, they cut 28 percent in 1950. It is used. It works. It has a history of working. It is imperative that we get the spending cut. And across-the-board spending reductions are a very responsible way for us to do this.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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