Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. STEWART. Mr. Chairman, I am honored--yea, I am thrilled--to stand and speak on this subject. It is the primary reason that I ran for Congress, and I think it is the defining issue and the most critical argument of our day.

We are at a crossroads in our history. I believe that this time is that important. What we do at this moment will determine the future of our Nation. It will determine the future of our children. It will determine the future or the death of the American Dream.

Stephen Covey, one of the great innovators and business leaders of our generation and a man who happens to be from my home State of Utah, popularized a time management concept called the ``urgent-important matrix.'' The point of this was to help us focus on those things that are both urgent and important and to let the other things go.

Frankly, as a Congress, we do a terrible job at that. We often legislate based on the crisis of the moment, lurching from one manmade crisis to another, and the budget is a great example of that. For years, we have treated this as if it is neither urgent nor important, as if it could go on forever; but we know that that's not true.

We also know now what this President believes. He doesn't think it's important to balance our books. He doesn't think it's important to cut our debt. He has no intention of cutting any spending. Not only does he not intend to balance our budget, but he derides and dismisses those of us who think that it's important to our future; but Americans understand this, and it's not that hard.

Please listen to me on this because this is so important: a Nation that is bankrupt cannot provide for the security of its citizens. A Nation that is bankrupt cannot provide for the poor and the needy among them.

I speak now primarily to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: if you care about the poor--and I know that you do. By the way, I do as well--then care enough to help them in the long run, not just for the next few years. There is nothing compassionate about letting Medicaid or Medicare go into bankruptcy. There is nothing compassionate about letting Social Security fail, but that's what's going to happen if we don't have the courage to fix this thing. We have to fix it now. This is both important and urgent.

Many of us had hoped that the President would lead on this matter, but he has chosen not to. It's not in his nature; he is much more comfortable leading from behind. Since he won't lead, those of us in Congress will.

I admire Chairman Ryan. I thank him for his courage in tackling a challenge that has terrified Congress for years--reforming entitlements in a way that will save them for our children.

We have a window within which we can make a difference. We can save America. We can save the American Dream. Please, let us have the courage to do that. That is why I support Chairman Ryan's budget and urge my colleagues to do so as well.

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