Default Prevention Act of 2013--Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CORKER. I thank the Senator from Louisiana for her desire to see this to a conclusion. I appreciate the many ways we have been able to work together on so many issues.

Look, I do not rise to blame either side right now. I do not. Let's face it, I have said from day one the effort that was taking place in the House regarding the health care bill was not an effort that was going to lead to a conclusion. It was an overreach. I know that. You know that. They know that. The country knows that. So we have ended up where we are.

But in fairness what has happened over the last couple of days is--on the other side of the aisle it has gotten one tick too cute. We had a group of folks who had an idea. I thought it was a good starting place, candidly. We had six Republicans and six Democrats who had an idea of a way to move beyond this. Let's face it. We all know what happens around here. Two nights ago the White House weighed in and leadership on the Democratic side pulled back a hair, asked the 12 folks not to have a press conference yesterday to announce what their efforts were.

The fact is we are where we are. Let me say this. I am perfectly happy with the two leaders negotiating a deal, and I want to support the leaders in negotiating a deal. I truly am. But at the end of the day what happened, let's face it, is we have had a little bit of a pullback where House Republicans overreached, no question. What has also happened over the last couple of days is there has been a little bit of a push to overreach and undo what happened with the Budget Control Act back in 2011, where budget caps were put in place, the President signed it, it passed, components of it--it passed the Senate. So just as much as the health care law is law, this also is law. What we have had over the last few days is a little bit of a pullback. I hope it is temporary.

What I would say is at this moment in time we have actually had a little bit of a problem on both sides of the aisle. Let's face it. I think we have an opportunity over the next 24 hours for that to be worked out. What I would do is encourage the leadership to continue on this pace.

As we all know, it takes 4 days to move anything across the Senate floor. We all know the debt ceiling is this Thursday. What I hope is going to happen is that both sides will admit there is a little bit of an issue, on both sides. I think there is a strong desire by the vast majority of our caucus over here to do something that is a pragmatic, good-government step. At the end of the day, look, these events have always been used in times when you have tremendous concerns about what our financial situation is.

They have always been used as a backstop to hopefully negotiate some reforms. We have been on the wrong page for so long, which I admitted to. We may not have even been in the right book, but we have definitely been on the wrong page, and now we are finally on the right page.

Let's face it. Not only are we on the right page where we are focused on fiscal issues relative to the debt ceiling and the continuing resolution to fund government, we are finally on fiscal solutions. Not only are we on the right page, we are finally on the right paragraph. We are focused on discussing mandatory reforms. We are on the right subject. We have the two leaders who are now talking to each other. By the way, I think the six Democrats and six Republicans who came together have helped that effort.

There has been a little bit of a pullback. I think the White House kind of encouraged--hey, let's see if there is some way we can bust the sequester. In fairness, I am pretty sure that happened. I think the Senators are pretty sure that happened. I know there has been concern by some of the appropriators about the caps that exist, but it is the law.

What I hope will happen is that we will end up with an agreement. The time is so short. We are not going to be able to do anything substantial on the mandatory issue. I think we all know that. I hope we will end up with an agreement that at least sets the framework for us to move, leave this behind us, as we should, but sets up the framework to move into dealing with the mandatory issues in such a way as they need to be dealt with.

I think it is unreasonable to ask people on our side of the aisle to have a $1 trillion debt ceiling increase and not put some kind of framework in place to look at some of the mandatory issues we know are driving our country into the ground the way they are. I think there should be some framework for that to be discussed over the next 60 to 90 days. The House has looked at 6 weeks. Some people have said that is too short.

It seems to me that doing something for the short term to get government up and the threat of the debt ceiling behind us--but doing something over the short term--gives us some time to harness the energy the Senator from Louisiana was alluding to. I know the Presiding Officer has intimated some of the same things. There is some energy in this body to deal with that, but the fact is we have not. A big part of it--as I mentioned--is that we have been on the wrong subject for a long time. We are finally on the right one. Let's come to a place where we can now focus on what we should have been focused on all along relative to debt ceilings and CRs.

I think the less we do--and I don't think anybody I have heard in recent time has been doing this--to barb each other at this moment would be in everybody's best interest, because this is a moment where we do need to resolve this issue. This is not a moment to take shots at each other. We know where we have been. We know the path we have been down. It has been winding, it has been in the wrong direction, and we are now in the right place. Let's let the leaders work it out. I hope they will.

I hope while the Democrats say this is settled law--the health care bill, the Affordable Care Act--that Democrats and Republicans will say the Budget Control Act is settled law. We have agreed to some caps. There is a more intelligent way of getting to those caps. I think there are probably 70 people in this body who agree.

We could do some mandatory reforms and substitute those for some of the discretionary cuts and still end up at the same levels of spending that are in this bill, which would be more intelligent for our Nation, and it would make our Nation much stronger. I think there is a lot of desire to talk about those kinds of things as long as it is done in the right way. There are all kinds of mandatory reforms. They are not the same.

I know the Senator from Alabama, who just came into the Chamber, made note of that yesterday. There are all kinds of mandatory changes, and they are not the same; they are not equal. We need to look at those and honor the trusts that have been set up.

Look, I think we have finally gotten to a pretty good place. I really do. I think both sides are a little bit at fault. People might discern that one side is more at fault than the other, but now it is time for all of us to focus on the right page, the right paragraph, so we can get this done.

I think we can get this done as long as people don't try to--as the Senator from Louisiana mentioned a minute ago--game this out to say which side ends up with a bigger win. I am afraid a little of that stepped in over the last 24 hours. I hope it will dissipate. I hope we will end up in a place that is good for our Nation. That is what we all came here to do, and I think it is going to happen, although I will say I have been a little bit concerned because over the last 24 hours that has not been what these conversations have been about.

Hopefully we will get back on the page we were on about 36 hours ago and focus on doing something that is bipartisan, that will stand the test of time, and will go over to the House in such a way that it has a tremendous amount of support coming out of this Chamber, and that it is not something where one side tries to peel off five or six items from the other side. That is not going to stand the test of time. That is not going to take us to a place that solves this problem in time to keep the kind of things the Senator from Louisiana mentioned might happen if we don't.

In all likelihood my time is up, and I yield the floor for that reason.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CORKER. Madam President, I want to take 30 seconds and say for the Record, I don't want anybody to think that I thought the strategy that was undertaken was the right strategy. I think I have been clear in saying I did not think that took us to a positive place. But the point is we are where we are, and we are finally on the right page. Let's stay there and solve this problem.

With that, I will yield the floor. I see the outstanding and distinguished Senator from Alabama is here. He is someone whom I very much enjoy working with, and I look forward to his comments.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CORKER. I thank the Senator from Louisiana for her desire to see this to a conclusion. I appreciate the many ways we have been able to work together on so many issues.

Look, I do not rise to blame either side right now. I do not. Let's face it, I have said from day one the effort that was taking place in the House regarding the health care bill was not an effort that was going to lead to a conclusion. It was an overreach. I know that. You know that. They know that. The country knows that. So we have ended up where we are.

But in fairness what has happened over the last couple of days is--on the other side of the aisle it has gotten one tick too cute. We had a group of folks who had an idea. I thought it was a good starting place, candidly. We had six Republicans and six Democrats who had an idea of a way to move beyond this. Let's face it. We all know what happens around here. Two nights ago the White House weighed in and leadership on the Democratic side pulled back a hair, asked the 12 folks not to have a press conference yesterday to announce what their efforts were.

The fact is we are where we are. Let me say this. I am perfectly happy with the two leaders negotiating a deal, and I want to support the leaders in negotiating a deal. I truly am. But at the end of the day what happened, let's face it, is we have had a little bit of a pullback where House Republicans overreached, no question. What has also happened over the last couple of days is there has been a little bit of a push to overreach and undo what happened with the Budget Control Act back in 2011, where budget caps were put in place, the President signed it, it passed, components of it--it passed the Senate. So just as much as the health care law is law, this also is law. What we have had over the last few days is a little bit of a pullback. I hope it is temporary.

What I would say is at this moment in time we have actually had a little bit of a problem on both sides of the aisle. Let's face it. I think we have an opportunity over the next 24 hours for that to be worked out. What I would do is encourage the leadership to continue on this pace.

As we all know, it takes 4 days to move anything across the Senate floor. We all know the debt ceiling is this Thursday. What I hope is going to happen is that both sides will admit there is a little bit of an issue, on both sides. I think there is a strong desire by the vast majority of our caucus over here to do something that is a pragmatic, good-government step. At the end of the day, look, these events have always been used in times when you have tremendous concerns about what our financial situation is.

They have always been used as a backstop to hopefully negotiate some reforms. We have been on the wrong page for so long, which I admitted to. We may not have even been in the right book, but we have definitely been on the wrong page, and now we are finally on the right page.

Let's face it. Not only are we on the right page where we are focused on fiscal issues relative to the debt ceiling and the continuing resolution to fund government, we are finally on fiscal solutions. Not only are we on the right page, we are finally on the right paragraph. We are focused on discussing mandatory reforms. We are on the right subject. We have the two leaders who are now talking to each other. By the way, I think the six Democrats and six Republicans who came together have helped that effort.

There has been a little bit of a pullback. I think the White House kind of encouraged--hey, let's see if there is some way we can bust the sequester. In fairness, I am pretty sure that happened. I think the Senators are pretty sure that happened. I know there has been concern by some of the appropriators about the caps that exist, but it is the law.

What I hope will happen is that we will end up with an agreement. The time is so short. We are not going to be able to do anything substantial on the mandatory issue. I think we all know that. I hope we will end up with an agreement that at least sets the framework for us to move, leave this behind us, as we should, but sets up the framework to move into dealing with the mandatory issues in such a way as they need to be dealt with.

I think it is unreasonable to ask people on our side of the aisle to have a $1 trillion debt ceiling increase and not put some kind of framework in place to look at some of the mandatory issues we know are driving our country into the ground the way they are. I think there should be some framework for that to be discussed over the next 60 to 90 days. The House has looked at 6 weeks. Some people have said that is too short.

It seems to me that doing something for the short term to get government up and the threat of the debt ceiling behind us--but doing something over the short term--gives us some time to harness the energy the Senator from Louisiana was alluding to. I know the Presiding Officer has intimated some of the same things. There is some energy in this body to deal with that, but the fact is we have not. A big part of it--as I mentioned--is that we have been on the wrong subject for a long time. We are finally on the right one. Let's come to a place where we can now focus on what we should have been focused on all along relative to debt ceilings and CRs.

I think the less we do--and I don't think anybody I have heard in recent time has been doing this--to barb each other at this moment would be in everybody's best interest, because this is a moment where we do need to resolve this issue. This is not a moment to take shots at each other. We know where we have been. We know the path we have been down. It has been winding, it has been in the wrong direction, and we are now in the right place. Let's let the leaders work it out. I hope they will.

I hope while the Democrats say this is settled law--the health care bill, the Affordable Care Act--that Democrats and Republicans will say the Budget Control Act is settled law. We have agreed to some caps. There is a more intelligent way of getting to those caps. I think there are probably 70 people in this body who agree.

We could do some mandatory reforms and substitute those for some of the discretionary cuts and still end up at the same levels of spending that are in this bill, which would be more intelligent for our Nation, and it would make our Nation much stronger. I think there is a lot of desire to talk about those kinds of things as long as it is done in the right way. There are all kinds of mandatory reforms. They are not the same.

I know the Senator from Alabama, who just came into the Chamber, made note of that yesterday. There are all kinds of mandatory changes, and they are not the same; they are not equal. We need to look at those and honor the trusts that have been set up.

Look, I think we have finally gotten to a pretty good place. I really do. I think both sides are a little bit at fault. People might discern that one side is more at fault than the other, but now it is time for all of us to focus on the right page, the right paragraph, so we can get this done.

I think we can get this done as long as people don't try to--as the Senator from Louisiana mentioned a minute ago--game this out to say which side ends up with a bigger win. I am afraid a little of that stepped in over the last 24 hours. I hope it will dissipate. I hope we will end up in a place that is good for our Nation. That is what we all came here to do, and I think it is going to happen, although I will say I have been a little bit concerned because over the last 24 hours that has not been what these conversations have been about.

Hopefully we will get back on the page we were on about 36 hours ago and focus on doing something that is bipartisan, that will stand the test of time, and will go over to the House in such a way that it has a tremendous amount of support coming out of this Chamber, and that it is not something where one side tries to peel off five or six items from the other side. That is not going to stand the test of time. That is not going to take us to a place that solves this problem in time to keep the kind of things the Senator from Louisiana mentioned might happen if we don't.

In all likelihood my time is up, and I yield the floor for that reason.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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