Budget Control Act of 2011

Floor Speech

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Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, there is not a single Member of Congress or the administration who did not know that this day was coming. Washington was spending tax dollars faster than ever before, and the debt ceiling was caving in.

The question is: How do we respond? Do we protest? Do we argue? Or do we govern?

Last November, the voters asked for change. That's how this House stopped the largest tax increase in history and cut spending this year to levels not seen since 2008.

Today, we have the opportunity to take the next step by passing the Budget Control Act. This is a balanced compromise that will avert a default and stop the cycle of debt that is draining our economy. It makes nearly $1 trillion in immediate cuts--more than the debt increase--caps future spending, and lays the groundwork for additional savings in a balanced budget amendment.

In a perfect world, some of us would like more cuts. Those on the left also want a bigger plan--or at least a big enough debt increase to carry the President beyond the next campaign.

But the American people care about jobs, not politics. They want solutions that will restore confidence, credit, and growth in the United States. And neither a default nor a 2-year budget gimmick will accomplish that task. This bill will.

I urge my colleagues on both sides to recognize that good politics is about doing what's right for the American people. Let's take this opportunity, cut spending, and put America back on a sound fiscal path to prosperity.

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