Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. COBURN. Thank you.

The most senior Member of our body understands the differences he and I have on a lot of issues. Most of what he said is true in his statement about the sacrifices and the effectiveness. Where we have a difference of agreement and a difference of understanding is in the enumerated powers of the Constitution of the United States.

The fact is that every individual in this country today owes $50,000 just on the debt, and every family is responsible for $1,100,000 in unfunded liabilities that your children and you will ultimately pay for.

This is not about vests. This is about continuing to do the same thing that got our country in trouble. This is a $120 million authorization with no offset, no cutting of spending anywhere else. If it is a priority, we ought to cut spending somewhere else. But, more importantly, the Constitution lists the enumerated powers, and there is no role for the Federal Government in terms of funding local police departments. It would be nice to do if we were in surplus. We could ignore the enumerated powers. But we are not in surplus. We are borrowing tons of money

every year. We are going to borrow $580 billion this year--$580 billion against the future. And the small thing--this is small. It is only $120 million. I do not object to our police officers having vests. I want them all to have vests. I want all the women to have vests. But it is not a role for the Federal Government. It is a role for my hometown police department in Muskogee, OK. The taxpayers there should protect our police officers.
Our Founders were very clear, and the reason this country is in trouble is we continue to practice outside the parameters of a limited government and take away the responsibility and obligations of State and local communities.

On that basis, I raise an objection and do not agree.

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