been consulting on anything. >> i am talking about a week ago. there was one week ago -- i have said repeatedly that if you look at what has happened since senator reid no longer supports the bipartisan agreement of which was apart last week -- >> you take your own word for it. he never was one. i've put like -- >> we have had this discussion. >> we sure have. >> neither of us were in the room. i know that senator reid and speaker boehner were sitting together right downstairs last weekend. only when the spent time to get a the white house and met individually with speaker boehner made the decision he wanted to meet with the bipartisan leadership with both bipartisan leadership with both houses of congress and that is what he did. >> so from that you're saying, a

bipartisan bill -- >> i did not say is. i said there was an agreement that harry reid was not a part of. >> there was a gang of six. >> them into the difference it makes. we are trying to get to about prison agreement with the actions we're taking a the house of representatives because there's no support from democrats that will be able to have a work product that can go to the senate. i'm not arguing that this is going to become the final package that is implemented to increase the debt ceiling. i am saying we need to have a work product come out of the house of representatives. the speaker of the house has tried to put the votes together. we all know the votes were not there yesterday. we met last night. that is the reason we're making this modification because there are members who were opposed to the measure who with this provision, that says we will in

fact -- that we have to have a balanced budget amendment go from the two houses of congress to the states and the implementation of the recommendations of the joint select committee that by virtue select committee that by virtue of making this modification, they will support moving this process along so that we can, in fact, this measure to the senate. my goal right now is for us to have something passed the house of representatives so we can resolve this by tuesday to ensure our constituents get their social security checks on wednesday and so we will not see the nation default. >> i understand that. i understand what you're saying. i'm saying simply yet with this constitutional amendment on this today, injured six months from now when we are obliged to raise the debt limit again, it would be impossible. >> i have not. >> well, i am telling you, this is not when it passed the senate. >> ok. >> or this bill.

>> the senate and a package from the house of representatives will obviously be a product for discussion. i hope we will have in the coming hours and days before tuesday, and agreed on bipartisan package that you and i will be able to support. that is what my hope is. >> i think he should start talking to democrats. >> i have a couple of questions. the question about the procedure today. we will go to the floor shortly and debate the so-called martial rule. we will pass this rule and as i'm understanding, we will indeed pass the amendment that you have right here. we will have that debate.

when that debate is over with, what debate is left? >> we will have the recommit a motion, provided for by the minority. then we will go to a vote on the bill. you know very well, we were involved yesterday. we had exhaustive debate on this measure yesterday. this is a clear modification. >> but me make one final comment. i think we agree with miss water. i do not think this will be the bill that will get to the president's desk by any means. >> i agree with you. >> obviously, the republican majority feel they should afford and to provide members cover or whatever. -- should move afford and to provide members cover or whatever. >> i would not challenge the

motives of any -- we won a work product comes from the house of representatives to the senate. >> our frustration, rather than these theatrics the wish to be in a room and talking to one another, my understanding is it the news is correct, senator mcconnell does not want to talk to anyone until you take action here and time is wasted and we're getting closer and closer to this terrible deadline. but after we do this today, i hope this is the end of the theater, the end of these bills coming to the floor, that the next bill comes to the floor is something we believe is the finished product. the reason i bring that up, mr. chairman, i noticed last night you introduced the reid bill. as you know, that is a bill that continues to evolve.

the bill yesterday does not necessarily reflect what the proposal is today. but i do not want to be cynical about this, but my concern is the republican leadership will think it is somehow or proper to bring the harry reid built up under the suspension of the rules -- or bring it up by some other means. i would urge the chairman and the leadership here, enough of that. >> is a gentleman completed? >> i am just making an appeal for us to get together to try to work out our differences. >> first of all, there are no theatrics involved. there may be theatrics involved in making it happen ultimately because this is theater. we're tryinging is to get a work product out of the

house of representatives. there is no democratic support. we in fact are addressing the concerns and the issues the republican members have raised so we can have a work product to get to exactly were you just said, that is, when we have a product piquancy negotiations take place. we want to see that happen. we have no plans at this point to bring the reach built up -- reid bill up. the faster we get done here in the rules committee, the faster we can get harry reid and john boehner negotiating on a measure before us. do you want to yield? >> i appreciate the reassurance that he will not be bringing me redi -- reid billup. >> mr. chairman, do you feel or

to any of our members feel any different than i do about the responsibilities in this matter, that it is the responsibility in addressing the debt limit of the legislative and executive branches of our government? >> the request was made by the president of the united states, but it -- we know it forms in congress. clearly, this is being done. the president made the request to congress but the judgment is correct. discussions between speaker boehner and leader harry reid and the other two leaders, mcconnell and nancy pelosi, of the will have a package the president can sign. >> mr. chairman, i answered my question with the reference to this particular matter. i am talking about from the standpoint of the history of

debt limits. let me specify one period of time. since 1940, we have raised the debt limit 73 times. >> action, since 1962, 75 times. >> then we will take your figures. the only reason i bring that up is because it has been during some of the worst of times, all for our nation. the parties took it upon themselves to raise the debt limit. without getting into the ideological dispute, what i'm china nil down is -- trying to nail down is, taking obama out of the picture and asking you, is it the responsibility of the executive branch and the legislative branch to address

the debt ceiling? could you give me a yes or no? >> yes, but i do not understand the point the gentleman is trying to make. the president of the u.s. made the request that we raise the debt ceiling. >> [unintelligible] >> my answer to that is, yes. >> ladies and gentlemen, i believe it was congress, which was controlled by both parties, that spent the money already spent that required essentially the president ask for an increase in the debt limit the need started with congress, not the president. >> let me say in the past four years, we have had an 82% increase in non-defense discretionary spending, playing a very big role in leading us to the point where we are today.

i know we care about wars and tax cuts and the rich and all that, but the fact is, we have this $14.30 trillion national debt and we all want to turn the corner. >> all right. mr. chairman, the thing i'm trying to really understand is i'm looking at today's resolution. it says it would specify before the president can request the second increase in the debt limit, the joint committee established by the underlying bill must produce spending cuts larger than the requested increase, and a balanced budget amendment must be sent to the state for ratification. now, i have, and i have expressed myself and i do not

know about other members, but i have an abiding faith that we cannot leave the rules committee, but the members of the house and of the senate -- not only the rules committee, but the members of the house and senate have a duty to our constituents to address this problem without passing it over to some 12 members to hand down cuts to us that we will have up or down vote on. this is not like all the base closing commission or even simpson-bowles. this would be internal. what i found in since and-bolts would be a good example, it wound up -- sensing-bowles, it would be a good example, but it wound up on the floor. it turns out they did not do nothing. nothing. in this measure here, in the 75

times since 1962, have there been similar type restrictions? i really ask for similar information. has there been similar restrictions? >> let me say, never has there been these kinds of structures attached to it. i think the urgency of trying to rein in the $14.30 trillion that has led this for the first time. the 87 newly elected republicans came here and said this is the message we have got. we have to get our fiscal house in order. it has not done -- has not been done before. i do now to prevent an opportunity for members to be heard but the faster we can move to the floor -- the will be a

full hour debate with whoever is managing on his side. >> i reclaiming my time. i am not in as big a hurry as you are. >> i suspected as much. >> i also can talk fast when i want to. the fact of the matter is, we are about to mate a decision that caught -- we are about to make a decision that causes me to have concern. i do not understand why the majority things moving further to the right constitutes progress. you're demonstrating yet again you're not interested in compromise. it is my bike, or the highway. >> let me say to the tenement -- let me say to the gentleman, democrat and republican alike,

we need to increase the debt ceiling. taking the action they're going to is going to speed us on that route toward a compromise that my friend is seeking. >> i will hurry along, reclaiming my time. you're doing this as we rapidly approach, and it is reckless. i said last night this is a mess. it is outrageous. last week, the pasteur cap, cut, and balance bill in the house and it was soundly defeated. early this week, removed a small step away from the radical approach, and passed a slightly less radical bill. it also had no chance in the senate. it turned out the bill did not have the chance in the united states house of representatives, either. it was not part radical enough, it was not part radical enough, say began walking back to the right or you started. we met on tuesday.

you pulled the bill to add more cuts. we met on wednesday, the recorded a closed rule in also proposed considering commitment to the united states constitution and to the most closed process we have, allowing for no amendment, not even a motion to recommit. the rule passed with only republican support, but your bill still was not quite radical enough. so you have to go back again behind closed doors yesterday. our third meeting, emergency session at 11:30 last night, you reported a martial law rule. you and i have complained on either side about martial law, but we understand it is the prerogative of the majority. but you did it so you could cram this newest version through the house today. so here we are in our fourth meeting on this new bill and it seems your ending right where you began. moving a bill that has no chance of passing in the united states

senate. i do not understand how your repeated refusal to compromise moves us toward a solution. thank you for the time. >> the vote occurs now -- oh. >> thank you, a mr.chair. while i appreciate your call for brevity and will try to make my remarks consistent with that, i would add that any time spent in this committee is time well spent on this important policy issue. certainly less of a detriment to a quick and successful outcome and some of the continued negotiations within the majority caucus of the last few days. 3 1/2 days left, the house had already acted and has a cap, cut, and balance act. i opposed that. my colleagues on this committee opposed that spread i thought

and continue to think it was a bad idea for the country. and did not argue is completely inappropriate in the step of where it was in the process. perhaps it was cutting it close moore tried to pass something the president would veto and would not go anywhere in the senate to excel at a time. now we're at a different point of three and half days out. i'm not convinced this is the appropriate action for this body at this point in time with three and a half days. over the last two days, the speaker's valuable time has been taken up talking to four, five, 10, 15 members of his caucus to gain their support rather than the president of the nine states, rather than senate majority a minority leader dole- united states, rather than senate majority and minority leader. prevents an increase in interest rates which would effectively be a middle tax increase. everybody would be paying more

on their mortgage debt, automobile loans, not to mention the fact increased interest payments alone on the federal debt, the sovereign debt, if we go up a point, which is the average difference between aa and aaa countries, pico up a point and would be over $1 trillion in additional interest paid in the next 10 years. we're talking about cutting $915 billion in the process of having a discussion, because it has been so dysfunctional and partisan, could lead to $1 trillion an additional expenditures, an increase in the deficit by $100 billion. this change today, further binding both bodies to pass with a two-thirds majority of balanced budget amendment is, i'm a co-sponsor of the amendment but michigan, i have no idea which balanced budget amendment we're talking about here. the only reference to it is a

dispersant to a joint resolution and the joint resolution proposing in a minute to the constitution of the united states. presumably, one could give that title to any bill. i'm a co-sponsor of the balanced budget amendment and the equal rights amendment. i just want to ask, this is so vague as to what we're talking about, mr. chairman, if recall the equal rights amendment and read titled it, could we bring the equal rights amendment to the floor and allow people to vote for equality for women and see if that would muster two- thirds? i yield to the gentleman. >> it is not something scheduled for the house floor. if the measure is broad up under the rules and gains two-thirds vote, then it would. >> thank you could i think we will look into recalling that equal rights amendment. if it finally gets the bill to the floor, it must be 40 years,

after 35 years been introduced, i look forward to that debate. i will yield for a moment. >> i can hardly wait. >> if you so desire, i would be happy. >> i want to reiterate why we are here and what we're trying to accomplish and why it is important. today the federal government announced they were wrong on gdp figures for the first quarter. gdp figures for the first quarter of this year were announced that and the department of labour stood by 1.9% gdp. today, they said they made an and it -- a mistake and is actually 0.4%. a small percentage of what is or was announced earlier. the actual results of this economy. this economy needs to produce 250,000 jobs per month for the

next five years to catch up -- >> i will yield for another moment. >> we are here for not to do as the president or as harry reid wants us to do, to simply keep giving the government more money to $0.70 trillion -- >> reclaiming my time. there is nobody in this discussion, not the president, but the senate majority leader, not the speaker, not the house minority leader who is talking not giving the government more money at this juncture in time. there's going to single person putting that on the table. the german from texas has made the point that uncertainty -- the gentleman from texas has made the point that the uncertainty can be a drag on the economy. however, the drag on the economy fared worse any

potential uncertainty that has caused any drag with regard to the minister of differences on the regulatory approach between various in ministrations. the world is being attention, the markets are paying attention. i really have nothing else to say. we need to get something to the floor. >> the vote occurs on the motion the german -- tandem and occurs. car, call the roll. >> mr. hastings, no.

mr. chairman, aye. >> the motion is agreed to and this will be managed by yours truly on the floor s misslaughter. thank you offering much in the pacific and move this process along so we can do what needs to be done without objection, the committee stands adjourned. committee stands adjourned.

>> the house rules committee has been meeting to pass them into

john boehner's debt ceiling and deficit reduction measure. here is how the associated press describes the amendment. the rework of the bill designed to attract conservative fats would commission a future increase in the debt ceiling on passage of a balanced budget an image of the constitution that would require two-thirds majorities in both houses of congress. the next that is now the committee, rules committee has gaveled out, the u.s. house will come in some time we expect in the next half-hour or hour or so. we will keep you posted on when they will come in, when they will convene, debating the rules for discussion this afternoon. votes later today on the revised john boehner package and will all be live here on c-span. the u.s. senate is in as well and under consideration in the senate today, the measure by harry reid, the majority leader, which would cut $2.20 trillion in spending over the next 10

years. the majority leader and a number of other senate democratic leader spoke to reporters earlier today. i want to share those comments next. >> thank you for waiting for us. the caucus to a little longer than we anticipated. since we finished our caucus, i have the ability to speak to nancy pelosi and steny hoyer and they're still trying to figure out when the votes will take place over there. we'll have to stand by and see what happens. we have said for weeks that we will not accept a short-term increase to the debt.

we just cannot do that. and from what i have learned the two democratic leaders in the house, they have put even more stuff in this right wing, cleaning bill. that is called the boehner plan. it is really hard to comprehend the confusion that have had over there and are still having today. it is really time to legislate. as we know, they're having trouble doing that. they have changed this so many times, it should be fairly easy to get the votes now. we have given the right wing even more than they have had before. the senate, we proposed compromise.

as fred thompson said, the republicans have gotten what they wanted. they should put their chips in their pocket and go home to declare victory. what we have now is our amendment, one the reduces death, extends the debt -- reduces debt and extends the debt ceiling until 2013. it is a real compromise directed toward the republicans. so today, as i did on the floor this morning, i'm good as a republican colleagues starting with senator mcconnell, to me some ideas as to what you think would improve my legislation. keeping in mind, as i said on the floor, there will be no agreements if it is a short-term extension.

we're not going to do that. my caucus supports that fully. right now, this is the only compromise there is. obviously. obviously. what is being done in the house is not a compromise. it is being jammed through that with all kinds of non- transparent dealings, people shuffling in and out of the republican leadership offices. so we are recognizing the only only compromise there is is mine. we are truly a bipartisan this is a bipartisan piece of legislation. republicans had come to me. one republican said to me, thank you for your legislation, and we had meetings with a number of republicans last night, various senators, and they feel concerned that we are not arriving at a compromise more than what we have now.

we want to do that. i repeat i have asked my friend senator mcconnell to meet with me to try to work this out, and i am confident he will and come back with some suggestions that he has. the stakes could not be higher. the security of our nation, literally the security of our nation, every family is at stake here. if the debt ceiling is not increase, every american family will feel an increase in their taxes, in various ways, payments on all their debts, credit cards, loans that they have taken out to put kids to school, car payments, mortgages on their houses. i sit to my republican colleagues, the right thing, but the interests of the country at of the tea party extremists. they are the ones that are driving that. they said that they came to town, made all these demands. the people we all represent want

us to come together in a bipartisan method. compromise is not a bad word. it is time for us to act together, and we hold our arms out the republican colleagues, to talk to me how we can straighten my legislation. senator thurman? >> thank you, senator reid. monday night we had an announcements, a message from the united states speaker john boehner, he had a bipartisan plan that was caught happen. tuesday, it was not bipartisan. the only negotiation under way the entire week by boehner has been with other republicans, and he did not have a plan. by tuesday, they announced they could not call a vote. maybe wednesday. on wednesday they could not call a vote, thursday again, they failed to have the majority to call a vote. we waited until late last night,

and now we are told sometime later today speaker boehner they have rounded up enough republican votes to pass his plan. it is not a partisan, and when you look closely at it is not right for america. in negotiating with the most extreme voices in his caucus, he is moving to positions that are almost indescribable. the latest report we have is that to win the last holdouts on the tea party, he had to agree to a significant and historic change, not enough that they are willing to hold our economy hostage what the debt ceiling extension, not enough that we stop the workings of this government on so many issues that we should be working on, but now the speaker has brought in the requirements to extend the debt ceiling we have to amend the constitution of the and i the states of america. this is the most outrageous suggestion i have heard, to think that those of us who has sworn to uphold the constitution

would allow this to become a bargaining chip by speaker boehner to win the most extreme members of his caucus, to say that we cannot move the economy of this country for, this nation forward without changing our constitution as a requirement in law, i wish robert byrd were still here. he would be on that floor with his constitution in hand and remind people about humility we should show when it comes to this great document. there has to be another way, and the way to approach this in a responsible, bipartisan way is to start with majority leader id's suggestion. he has offered an olive branch to senator mcconnell to work together for a bipartisan solution that is timely and moves forward. i hope senator mcconnell will join him and hope that we can find that path forward. we did not put america through this every three, four, five,

six months. we owe it to the people we represent and to the economy and to the constitution to do much better. >> thank you. i want to thank senator reid for his leadership during these difficult times. with only four days until a catastrophic defaults, the house continues to waste time. the senate cannot afford to wait on the house any longer. speaker boehner they should give it up. he throws piece after piece after piece of red meat to the right wing of lyon that seems to dominate his caucus. it is time he came that line for the the the country, to get his conservatives back on the reservation at this point. he is adding all kinds of the unrealistic poison pills to his plan. his new plan requiring that each house of congress, not vote on, but pass a balanced budget

amendment before in the debt ceiling is raised will guarantee a default. it would not just make it the fault lightly. it would guarantee the fall. the boehner proposal says we promise you we will be fought by january. it is an absurd, the absurd proposition, and it is hard to believe outside the confines of this -- of that house caucus, anyone takes it seriously. only the senate plan provides hope for a way out of this impasse. later today, senator reid wilwill send a lake week and voe for the senate plan as the last best option to avoid a default. since it will be the last train leaving the station, which expects senate republicans to give it a long, careful look.

it would be hard to imagine that the republicans in the senate would actually filibuster the nation into a default. there mcconnell has kept a low profile in recent days out of loyalty to speaker banner, but he now needs to step up and help move the process forward. the time for providing cover for the speaker is over. a nation hangs in the balance. we need senator mcconnell to become engaged. the ball is in his court and only in his court. we hope a deal can be had by dave's and. if not, senator reid is right to move ahead with his plan, which already is a compromise. it gives the republicans the two to things they asked for -- no revenues and an off-the-cuff to equal the amount we raise the

debt ceiling. this would be set up -- this would set up a vote, just after midnight on saturday night. that vote will be the vote to avert default. a yes vote is a vote to be responsible. a no vote would be a vote for economic catastrophe. >> like everyone, i am getting a lot calls from extremely concerned families, veterans, business owners, in my state, who are seriously worried that we will be fault in this country, or that moody's will downgrade us, interest rates go up, and every family will be impacted. everyone wants us to works to a compromise, and what we do not want to do is be back in the same situation right before the

december holidays, when retailers are counting on families to be able to do their holiday shopping. we cannot be in that situation at that time. that is why we are saying it is time to come to a bipartisan solution to move us to a longer period of time so that we can get back and get on track, bring certainty to our businesses, families, to all of us in this country and start moving us toward the goal of creating jobs and getting our economy back on track. that is why it is so important that we have a long-term goal. what all my constituents are saying is, can you work together to solve this? that is what is so disheartening to me this morning, after all this week, watching speaker boehner try to get this bill to the floor, that he is moving now, not to reach out his hand to say how do i get democratic votes, but reaching out his hand to say, how do i get a more conservative vote in his party?

that is a move that will not get us to a bipartisan bill that is acceptable to this country or to this congress. i want to commend senator reid and our caucus for being where we are today. we have moved forward a great deal toward a bipartisan approach. we have given up our request to have revenues be a part of this package. we have given into the understanding that we are calling to have to make cuts far beyond what most of us are comfortable with. now senator reed has said the mitch mcconnell, come to me with what you need in order to get this passed in a bipartisan manner. that is how we are going to come resolution, and we are at a critical point, and i urge our republican colleagues to move towards this so we can get past this is extremely frightening moment in this country.

[unintelligible] >> last weekend pelosi, boehner,, and i sat down and try to work through something, and frankly during the discussion, it got worse rather than better. we felt there should be reasonable cuts with defense. they came back after working one day on the -- came back with an increase in defense spending. yes, we met, and if your question, no, we have said from the very beginning, very beginning that we will not accept a six-month extension. we said that from the very beginning, said it all last week and, so the answer to your question is no. >> [unintelligible] >> we consider that.

the problem is we have not had a single republican come forward and say they would be willing to do something like that, not one. as i said, i am anxious to talk to people about how we should move forward. i have invited the republicans to call me, come and see me. i have a number of democrats that are wrong to see this happen. i'm happy to look at different alternatives. >> you said earlier that he had some ideas for changes to the bill, and you will not change the short-term nature of the extension, but how else could the bill be changed that would move this and a close-up of >> i have some ideas that are certainly ideas that i have gone from republicans, and those are waiting to be done, but i am not want to move forward until on what i am going to do until i have every belief that the republicans get all the time they need to give me the ideas

ahead. if they do not get meat in the, i will do it on my own. [unintelligible] i will go to him. [unintelligible] late, late saturday night? >> no, we need him to come today. i need something now. after i file something, he has got all of these -- house is not the only location of extremists. >> aren't you shopping these ideas directly to republicans' rank-and-file who, yes. what was the question? [unintelligible] the overseas contingency fund

has been scored by zero in b and scored by the cbo. it has been voted 230-plus republicans have voted for it. the answer is no. this is part of their budget, and sometimes people try to pull the wool over people's eyes with numbers, but i have never been able to figure that with see below. -- with cbo. >> you are trying to reach out to senator mcconnell. he already laid out a way out of this a few weeks ago. the uc marrying some version of his -- >> i thought it was a courageous idea, i have not taken my eyes off of that, but i want to give the republicans an opportunity

to see how they feel my bill should be changed. that is one way could be done. [unintelligible] something the republicans would like, i will take a look at it. sure, the only extant and i have talked about would be after the first of the year, 2013. i do not know what the you put on it. >> 2012. >> no, cannot be in this battle all the time. right now, the extremists have locked down this congress. we're doing nothing. extremists have a lot down the white house. the country is in an economic malaise and they want to keep this outcoup? i am somewhat flabbergasted at

people who are elected to the house of representatives, a body in which i served, where i worked under the guidance of tip bought jim wright, michael, democrats and republicans. that is how we work together. that is how we saw the social security issue. i cannot imagine these people elected to these places where henry clay works would be so driven by ideology, and willing to compromise anything. [unintelligible] listen, i democrats who want a balanced budget amendment. as senator durbin said, i am not standing in line to see how many times an amendment to the constitution comes up. people want to vote on that, fine, but as senator schumer said, to show the extremism of

these people, they are not satisfied with a vote on it, they want a guarantee that it passes before they will allow an extension of the debt limit. how does our could anybody be? thanks. >> the senate proceeding with harry reid's plan which would raise the debt ceiling by the full amount needed through 2012, cutting spending $2.20 trillion. the u.s. house will be coming in within 15 minutes at about 2:00 eastern, this after the rules rulettee approved harkethe

that required the archivist of the allied states to submit to the states a ratification of a proposed balanced budget amendment to the constitution, to pass bothahas houses of congress as well. republican members are lining up in support of the boehner plan. tim scott of south carolina is now behind the bill, and the club for protest drop its ownerition to the amendmed of record we wanted treated a bit from just a short while ago in the house rules committee. in the house rules committee. >> thank you. i move the committee or pull a

rule for consideration of s627. the amendment printed in committee report accompanying the resolution should be considered adopted. >> you have heard the motion. i hope everybody got a good night's sleep. it was 12 hours and 55 minutes ago that we left here pretty close to that as we were approaching midnight, and as i said last night," we did not have the votes to pass a measure, and we feel strongly about the need to ensure that we increase the debt ceiling and do so for the first time ever, bringing about spending cuts which the american people are supportive of. the rule before us will said the s627 that the debt

increases -- a balanced budget amendment is sent to the states for ratification. we know the package before us, the boehner plant, has many of the elements that are included in the ieid poll that stems from a bipartisan biden talks, but there does not appear to be in the bipartisan support for that package here in the house. we as republicans, by virtue of the fact that there's no support from the aircraft's, have had to make a modification so that we can proceed and get the house of representatives or the senate, and at the end of the day, recognizing we have a democratic president and senate, we are going to have to come to some kind of agreement.

we are here under unusual circumstances. i am not happy that we're doing this under the structure we are, but everybody acknowledges the president of the united states made a request of this institution, that is to increase the debt ceiling by august 2. he said if we do not, by august 3 social security checks may not go out. i am not going to be party to any effort that could stand in the way of social security checks getting to my constituents, and i do not want to be part of any effort that would potentially downgrade the credit rating of the united states of america. i do not know that the sky is the default on august 2. i cannot want to take that chance. i strongly supportive of the amendment that is being proposed by the speaker, that he has asked us to offer, and the motion that has proposed, and i motion that has proposed, and i hope next week could begin the

effort of bipartisanship with this process right here in the rules committee, and i hope my colleagues will support it. any amendments or discussion? >> i would like to do that. i would like to quote an article, because i think this needs to be said as many times we can say it. this is done by an expert economist if he says my basic point is that this is a crisis that we have manufactured out ole cloth. the dollar as the world's currency could be jeopardized. there's no indication by any measure that the united states is having difficulty barring a month ago. month ago. in fact, the leadin world is loag

money to the united states cheaper than before. we are refusing to pay our bills, topping while the bill collector with the door. we have already caused a great deal of harm because the confidence in the and added states has taken great direction. it is important is that, because -- fareed zacharioa. talk about your amendment here, i understand that this had to be done to get more votes. the fact of what you have said here is the debt limit is raised for, what, six months, and before the second vote, the archivist of the united states has to say to the states for ratification a proposed amendment to the constitution of the united states, pursuant to a joint resolution. why do you think that the senate or the congress will pass that

balance budget amendment? >> my friend knows, that i think anyone who can predict what the senate will do -- >> i heard again this morning, a constitutional amendment. >> never know what happens in the legislative process. i did not think we would be sitting here today what we're doing today. i will say that i cannot predict what is that the united states senate is going to do. the speaker of the house has worked very hard in good faith in an attempt to put together a bipartisan agreement, and it has fallen apart. >> i do not know where this bipartisan thing comes from. senator reid said, they had not been consulted on anything. >> talking about a week ago. one week ago -- have said

repeatedly -- have separately that if you look at what has happened since senator reid no longer supports the bipartisan agreement of which he was a part last week's -- >> you take your own word for it. >> we have had this discussion. >> we sure have. >> neither of us were in their re room. senator reid and speaker boehner or write down the stairs last week, and i know that they spend time together at the white house and met individually when speaker boehner made a decision that he wanted to meet with the bipartisan leadership of both houses. that is what he did. >> you are saying a bipartisan bill -- >> i did not say is. i said there was an agreement

that harry reid is not a part of. >> there was the gang of six. >> we were trying to get to a bipartisan agreement with the action we are taking here said that house -- because there's no support from the aircraft, so that we will be able that a product that will go to the senate, and i am not arguing that this is on to become the final package that is implemented to increase the debt ceiling. what i am saying is we need to have a work product come out of the house of representatives. the speaker of the house has tried to put the votes together, and we all know the votes were not there yesterday. that is why we met last night to do the same-day rule, and that is why we are making this modification because there are members who were opposed to the measure who now with this provision, that says we will in fact see -- we have to have a balanced budget amendment go from the two houses to the states and the implementation of

the recommendations of the joint select committee, that by virtue of making this modification they will support moving this process along so we can in fact this measure to the senate, and all i want to do -- my goal is for us that something has the house and represented this so we can resolve this by tuesday to make sure our kids did joins that they're supposed 30 checks on wednesday so we will not see the nation deval. >> i understand that. by the fact you have put the constitutional amendment on this today, you have ensured that six months from now, when we are what to raise the limit again, it will be impossible. >> i have not insured that, because this is not -- >> is not want to pass the senate. >> the senate and the package from the house of representatives will obviously be a product for discussion, and we will have, i hope, in the

coming hours and days before tuesday, and agreed on a bipartisan package that you and i will be able to support. that is what my home is. >> you probably ought to start talking to democrats. >> i am a republican, you are a democrat. >> i have a couple questions. about the procedure today. if all understand correctly, we will go to the floor shortly and debate the rule, that will be first. we will pass this rule, and as i understand this correctly, we will deem passed the amendment you have right here, and we will have that debate, and when that debate is over with, what debate is left? >> we will have a recommitted

motion that was a provided to the minority of the offer, and then we will vote on the bill. we had an exhaustive debate on this measure yesterday, and this modification is a very clear one and has these provisions. >> let me make one final comment here. i think -- i agree weeks ms. slaughter. i do not think this is got to be a bill that gets to the president's desk. >> i agree. >> obviously the republican majority feels they should move this forward to provide members, or whenever. -- to provide members cover, or whenever. >> i want a work product from the house to the senate. >> our frustration is rather

than going through these theatrics, that we should be in a room, talking to one another. if the news is correct, my understanding is senator mcconnell does not want to talk to anybody until you take action here and time is wasted, we're getting closer and closer to this terrible of line. here is my hope. after we do this the day, i hope that this is the end of the theater, the end of these bills come to the floor, that the next bill comes to the floor on this is something that we believe is the finished product. the finished product. the reason i bring that up is that i noticed last night you introduced youreid bill. that is a bill that -- the bill yesterday does not reflect what the reid puzzle is today. i do not want to be cynical about this, but my concern is

that the republican leadership will think it is appropriate to bring the reid built up under the system and other rules the voted down, the vote it down, to make a political point, or bring it up by some other means. i would urge the chairman of the leadership here that enough that. let's -- >> is the uncompleted? >> we will leave the house rules and take you live to the house port from the committee on rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 383. resolution providing for consideration of the bill senate 627, to establish the commission on freedom of information act processing delay. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker.

by the direction of committee on rules, i call up house resolution 382 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 63, house resolution 382, resolution waiving a requirement of clause 6 -- resolved that the requirement of clause 6-a of rule 13 for a 2/3 vote to consider a report from the committee on rules on the same day it is presented to the house is waived. with respect to any resolution reported through the legislative day of august 2, 2011. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for one hour. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, for the purpose of debate only i yield the customary 0 minutes to the gentleman from -- 30 minutes to the gentleman from colorado, my friend, mr. polis, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. sessions: during consideration of this resolution all time is yielded for the purpose of debate only. madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sessions: house resolution

382 waives the requirement of clause 6 of rule 18 -- 13 requiring a 2/3 vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported by the rules committee. this would allow for the same day consideration of any resolution reported through the legislative day of august 2, 2011. this rule will ensure the congress has the necessary tools to pass a bill that ensures we cut spending without defaulting on our national debt. madam speaker, today you will hear my friends the democrats argue about a closed process, but you will not hear them discuss the unprecedented spending spree that my friends, the democrats, on the other side of the aisle went through for the last two congresses. we will discuss how republicans continue to come up with thoughtful solutions and i add balanced thoughtful solutions to our nation's economic troubles,

but we think will and what has up to now only failed in the senate. we will talk about the magnitude of this vote and the importance of reaching an agreement before tuesday. madam speaker, it is time to stop pontificating and to start acting like members of congress. the nation calls for a solution and republicans are the only ones of the two bodies to offer solutions in legislation in debate on the floor and with actual votes. my friends on the other side of the aisle will go on and on today about how republicans are closing the process and shutting out members of congress. well, when we are really here providing for the flexibility for the speaker of the house to simply work with the senate to ensure a solution to the looming debt crisis, deadline is met. so that we will not default on our obligations. if my democrat colleagues were serious about finding solutions to this problem, they would vote

in favor of this rule today. the facts of the case are clear. the chairman of the rules committee, the gentleman, david dreier from california, has issued more open rules in the last month in congress has seen over the last two congresses. or for a total of four years combined. additionally, in the 111th congress under the leadership of nancy pelosi and the chairman of the rules committee at the time, louise slaughter, 26 same-day rules were reported out of the rules committee and the previous congress, the 110th congress, under the same leadership, 17 same-day rules. were reported out by the rules committee. in comparison, the process regarding these rules in this congress is a far cry from the previous democrat leadership unorthodox and unprecedented closed processes. i rise today in support of this rule. this rule is essentially to

allow the house of representatives the flexibility it needs to ensure the safety and soundness of our country's economic future. over the past four years we have seen record debt and deficits which has brought us to the crossroads that we face with a looming august 2 deadline for raising the debt ceiling. americans continue to speak out loudly and clear and just as they did last november they are saying it is time to stop the out-of-control spending, wasteful washington spending and excessive government. republicans have cut spending at every opportunity this congress and we are hoping to do that again today. discretionary and mandatory spending at federal levels are unon unsustainable paths. in the last two years of democrat control, congress has approved and the president has signed into law an 84% increase

in nondefense discretionary spending. and the president's budgetary processes of which he proposes has these discretionary spending at these inflationary spending levels is unprecedented. america can no longer support or afford this kind of leadership. the president's proposed four-year 2012 budget also doubles then triples the federal deficit over the next 10 years. and while increasing taxes on the nation's job creators by $1 .6 trillion sounds like a good deal to the president, in fact a free enterprise system and employers and american workers know otherwise. additionally, the president's budget makes no substantial effort to address the unsustainable rate of entitlement spending. one of the major aims of the president's own fiscal commission.

which he has ignored. obviously the president has no intention of cutting spending or reining in big government programs. big government, more taxes, more regulations are directly in the president's strike zone and that is the process he intends to challenge congress to come right on with him and keep marching towards the cliff. madam speaker, we are at the end of the road. we are at the end of the road and once again today republicans are saying we are going to have to make tough choices. that's why we came to congress and the majority party will continue to do that today. over the past seven months republican leadership has been steadfast in their support for cutting spending, getting control of our record deficit, and debt. the house passed h.r. 1, a continuing resolution that brought back spending levels to

2008 levels cutting $100 billion in one year. in april this house passed a budget that would cut $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next decade compared to the president's budget. just last week this body passed cut, cap, and balance. which would limit discretionary spending, cap spending to a lower percentage of g.d.p., and lead to a balanced budget act. so congress could no longer write checks that they can't cash without passing the debt on by asking foreign companies -- governments and others to make up the difference for us. republicans are willing to pay the balance if the president is willing to cut up the predit card. and that is why -- credit card. and that is why we are here also today. republicans have again and again

in the house offered commonsense solutions to rein in spending and cut down our debt. and my friends on the other side of the aisle continue to reject every single proposal. so, one might ask what is their solution? what they have offered this nation for economic growth and put americans back to work, we would ask. so, let me tell you. by raising taxes. by raising taxes on individuals, on small businesses, and corporations alike. this is no wonder why we see stagnant job growth, g.d.p. that lags behind and employment that means we cannot meet the needs of this country. even when the increase in taxes hurts our economic recovery, slows job growth, and places more jobs and uncertainty in the marketplace, our friends, the

democrats, continue to argue for more spending and more taxation. president obama has asked congress for an increase in the debt ceiling and my republican colleagues and i refuse to grant that request without a commitment to long-term spending cuts. we reject president obama's insistence for a blank check to pay the credit card bills that he has run up over the past 2 1/2 years. president obama's unwillingness to address the true drivers of our debt assured me and my party that we cannot achieve a true solution to the debt we are -- crisis we are facing today unless we are able to make tough decisions. budget control act, we discussed yesterday, and what we will discuss today is a step in the right direction. le it accomplishes what republicans and the american people have been asking for since the beginning of this

process. it will reduce spending more than we increased the debt limit. it imposes no new taxes on anyone. and it guarantees to americans that the house and the senate will vote in the next six months on the only prominent solution to our debt crisis. yes, madam speaker, the republicans are here on the floor again working on behalf of not only employers and employees, but the middle class of this country. those of us who are concerned about where we are headed. there is nothing in this resolution that should cause anyone to worry about losing social security or medicare. that is not even intended in this process. what is is to solve the spending and the debt crisis that we have in this country. i encourage a yes vote on this rule and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: thank you, madam speaker.

before i begin a point of personal privilege, i thank the gentleman from texas for the time. we on the rules committee and members of congress rely on the hard work of our staff. particularly on rules committee. working into the wee hours of the night last night to be an example until 181:30. after three years of tremendous service, my rules associate has accepted another position in the senate. i just want to express my appreciation for my hard work. she hails from the city of dallas, texas, and her home, my colleague on the rules committee, mr. sessions. i would like to yield to my colleague, mr. sessions. mr. sessions: congratulations. i am going to miss you. it is a good day for you. it's a bad day for us. it is with regular occurrence that i look over at you. you have a bright smiling face. you have the enthusiasm not only of a bright young staffer, professional staffer on the rules committee, but i think you will be a true asset to senator

stabin now -- stabenow. as you take experiences from a body that does a lot of work to a body that needs to do more work. i wish you the best. i'd also like to tell the gentleman that jenny, who is behind me, professional member of the staff member of the rules committee, will also be leaving i found out after this process. she'll be going to congressman doc hastings' office to be his adult supervision. so we are taking two rules committee professional staff members who will aid and help other members in their betterment. i thank the gentleman for allowing me -- mr. polis: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. polis: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to be perfectly clear about what we are talking about here today. from the moment speaker boehner walked away from the negotiating table last friday to the opening bell of the stock market this morning, shareholders in u.s. stocks, american retirees,

investors, our middle class have lost $405 billion based on analysis of data from the standard & poor's 500 index. and americans stand to lose more if we fail to resolve this crisis. the third wave put together a comparison between the interest rate paid on sovereign debt between triple-a and double-a nations. this is why credit is important. people understand that. depending on the credit rating you pay a different rate on your home mortgage. you might have different financing opportunities on your credit card. if america miss as debt payment, the rating agencies have let us know it likely will result in a downgrade from trip the a status to a.a. status. the current bill before us would likely lead to that as well because it only contains a short-term, six-month renewal, of our debt ceiling, and having watched the dysfunction of congress over the last few weeks, the global investment community, those who loan us

money, will say the last thing we need to do is put ourselves through this again in six months to ensure civility. . countries that have a. a a.a. rating have an average bonds rate of 2%. 3/4 of a percent difference. what does that mean? it means 3/4 a percent on your variable mortgages. and, yes, it means more government expenditures, bigger government expenditures, just to cover the debt that we already have. in fact, that difference, that .75% difference over the next 10 years will cost taxpayers an additional interest payment over $1 trillion. so here we are with the big -- bill that cuts spending, cuts $915 of spending but because it will likely lead to a downgrade, will cost over $1 trillion.

this bill before us today will increase the deficit by over $100 billion. at a time of record deficits, when we all know we need to enforce fiscal discipline, the last thing we need is an irresponsible bill to increase the deficit by $100 billion which is what we have before us today. now, if we had this bill before us two weeks ago or three weeks ago i would still oppose it. increasing the deficit is the last thing we need to do now. but it would have been an interesting discussion, it would have been maneuvering and politics and all this stuff that this body does too much of, in posturing, in my opinion. but here we are 3 1/2 days from the debt ceiling expiring and the gentleman from texas and the chairman of our rules committee and many others have said, we want to, we know we need to do this, we need know -- we know we need to do this. if we know we need to do this, why are we doing this 3 1/2 days before the expiration of the debt ceiling? why are we potentially passing a bill that will increase the

federal deficit? that will almost certainly leave to -- lead to a gowngrade? ? that the senate has said he will kill? that the president has said he will veto? i understand the plan was to pass this bill last night. the majority party was short of a few votes. that would have been yet another window of opportunity for this speaker, who has had many, to negotiate a real solution, to be the statesman, to work with the president and the senate, to come up with a bipartisan package to increase the debt ceiling, cut spending, decrease the deficit. the president's talked about decreasing the deficit by $4 trillion. instead we have a bill that's likely to increase the deficit by $100 billion. the last thing we need from congress at this juncture in time. 3 1/2 days, madam speaker s, is how long we have to get this right. i ask you, madam speaker, is

this the step we need to take toward that outcome? passing yet another ideological bill that will cost taxpayers $100 billion and cost middle class families another percentage point on all the debt that they have? madam speaker, there is a route out of this. and the route out of this is not -- does not involve the majority party trying to pull back the four or five or six people they need over there. the path out of this is the speaker engaging us, engaging all members of this chamber, engaging the president of the united states who has to sign this at the end of the day, engaging the senate majority leader and the senate minority leader, to go back to that table that speaker boehner walked out on last friday, to negotiate a real solution to the deficit crisis and the spending crisis that has gripped this country, that could very well lead to a growngrade and increased deficit spending unless we get our arms around it. look, i think many on my side of the aisle are open to a compromise. president obama himself has called for a compromise and know my office and the offices of

many other members of congress have received hundreds of calls from constituents, echoing that desire, to reach a solution on this. i fear that the step before us today is yet another example of the dysfunction of this institution under this leadership. but it's not too late. i call upon the speaker to move away from this direction and get back to the negotiating table, to establish a real solution to reduce the deficit, retain our nation's good credit and faith in our system and show that this institution, the institution of the house of representatives, and the institution of congress, can work and do what's right for our country. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. at this time i would like to yield five minutes to the gentleman, brand new member of the rules committee, one of our 87 new republican freshmen, the

gentleman from lawrenceville, georgia, the gentleman from, congressman woodall. five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for five minutes. mr. woodall: i very much thank my friend from texas for yielding. it's true, i'm one of the new guys there on the rules committee, one of the new guys here in this congress. and because i haven't been watching this process go on quite this closely before, i'm prepared to answer the question today of why are we here and why are we here doing this. for folks who don't watch the process, hadn't watched it like i have, what this rule is, it will -- that we're working on today is to say, you can bring up a bill in the rules committee and then bring that bill to the floor on the very same day and that's unusual. because regular order in this body says if you bring something up, let's let it sit overnight, everybody has a chance to look at it, we'll bring it up the next day. i'm a big proponent of regular order. i believe we get the best work product out of this body when we work through regular order and we've done that time and time

and time again in this congress and we'll do it time and time again in the future. but today we're faced with a predicament where august 2 is looming on the horizon. now, it's friday, for folks who don't know, we're not going home tonight after work. don't worry, madam speaker, as you know, this house is going to be in full swing tonight, tomorrow morning, tomorrow night , on sunday, on monday to get america through this challenge. but my white house, my president tells me that august 2 is the day by which we must pass a bill and here we are at the last hour to make that happen. now, why are we at the last hour? that was a question my friend from colorado asked and i have the answer. because we didn't actually start this process today. we didn't start it last night in the rules committee, we started this process back in february

with h.r. 1, a bill to fund the government all the way through october 1 of this year. it was an open rule, for the first time in the history of this house of representatives it was an open rule on the continuing resolution, took us five days going day and night, 24 hours a day at the end, to get that bill discussed fully, because we all had input on that process, we all had things that we wanted to add and this house passed that bill, it went across to our friends in the senate and they did nothing. now, we had another shot at this in april when we walked through the -- when we worked through the budget process. it's supposed to take us through 10 years, 10 years and we ask every member of this house of representatives to bring their ideas to the floor and the rules committee in its wisdom made every single budget that any member of this house offered

available as a bill on the floor to consider. and we debate thed them all -- debated them all. there were some that raised taxes by $10 trillion. there were others that cut spending by $10 trillion. and all in between. we debated them all and the house diseased -- and the house decided on one. the house budget. in april of this year. and we sent it to the senate and they did nothing. now, in fairness they did defeat that bill we sent to them. they defeated ours, we only got 40 votes on ours. that was better. they worked on the president's budget over there. he got zero votes on his. so they're good at defeating things but they didn't pass anything at all and that's the partnership we have to have. i say to my friend from colorado, i'm so proud of our partnership in the rules committee. and really our partnership beyond the rules committee, too, on some of the issues that we work on here. if we could develop the kind of partnership with our friends in

the senate that we've been able to develop between ourselves here on the house side, it would be a completely different situation here in washington, d.c., but even as part of that raucous freshmen class that folks read about in the newspaper, hoim, i don't have the ability to control -- madam speaker, i don't have the ability to control what goes on in the united states senate. all i have the ability to do is come down here and participate in our process which in february produced h.r. 1, which could have averted this crisis today, in april produced the house budget which could have averted this crisis today, and last week produced cut, cap and balance which, sent to the senate and they did nothing, could have averted this crisis yet again. but in light of all those failures of action in the senate, we're forced to come here today and we don't have overnight to lay a bill over, we

don't have 72 hours to lay a bill over. we only have 72 hours until my president tells me d-day arrives for our financial markets. and so we're here supporting this rule for same-day consideration so that we can do whatever it takes to get the job done. mr. sessions: madam speaker, i'd like to extend the gentleman two additional minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. woodall: i very much thank the gentleman from texas. we're going to do whatever it takes to get the job done. but there's a teaching moment in this process, madam speaker. maybe it's obvious to some of the senior members. again, i'm one of the new guys, only seven months on the job here in congress, but what i've noticed this week is this. last night we tried to bring up a bill, it was a bill that our speaker and the majority leader in the senate negotiated over last weekend and we thought bringing that bill to the floor would be that compromise, i

promise you it was a compromise because it was not what i wanted to bring to the floor of this house, we thought that compromise would be the solution to get america out of this situation. and we couldn't find -- >> would the gentleman yield? mr. woodall: i'd be happy to yield. mr. polis: the majority leader said it never expressed support for this bill and opposes this bill and i'll yield back to the gentleman to clarify that. mr. woodall: i thank my friend. there is lots of conversation in this town but i maintain that this was the topic of discussion and agreement between the speaker and the majority leader last week and absolutely the majority leader's walked away from that agreement since then, i don't dispute that. but here's the thing. we had disagreement on the house of the -- the floor of the house -- this agreement on the house of the floor -- on the floor of the house last night and no democratic agreed to it. we couldn't find one dement

democrat vote in favor of it and we've come back with a new bill today that moves us to the right. moves us to the right. now, as someone who comes from one of the most conservative districts in the country, i think that's fantastic. more moving to the right, let's keep on moving. there's a lot more space over there. let's move some more over to the right. but i say to my friends on the left, as we try to get through a crisis, a national crisis, we only needed a few votes from you last night and this would have been a bipartisan bill. but instead we're back down here today and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from new york, a member of the budget committee, mr. tonko. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for two minutes. mr. tonko: thank you, madam speaker. and i thank my colleague from colorado for yielding. here we go again, my friends, here we go again wasting another day of debate on a proposal that is more of a press release than a plan. news broke this morning that from the moment speaker boehner

walked away from the table last friday to the opening bell this morning shareholders in the united states stocks lost over $400 billion. my colleagues have been unwilling, not unable, to reach compromise in this chamber. they have been unwilling, not unable, to tell extremists that while they write their press releases and shake fair thifts, the rest of us must go -- shake their fists, the rest of us must go down and get to governing. and that choice, for it was a choice, cost the american economy almost as much in five business days as my republican colleagues are trying to cut from the budget in five years. they're using a manufactured crisis to make the problem worse. and so here we are again, my republican colleagues have wasted another 24 hours making a bad plan worse. a plan that is based on the same tired policies that got us into this mess, cut taxes for millionaires, give kickbacks to special interests, pay for it all with cuts to the middle

class, including medicare and social security. and if they try to tell you that these cuts are not in this bill, ask them to sign a pledge, that this legislation will not be used to cut benefits for seniors in the next 12 monthless. they won't. after my -- months. they won't. after my republican colleagues pulled their bill from the floor last night, they went back to the negotiating table, but with whom? the senate? no. the president? surely not. no, they went back behind closed doors to negotiate with themselves, to run further to the right at the behest of the most ideologically entrenched members of their caucus. this may be good politics but it's not good government. i'm tired of it, my constituents are tired of it, anyone who has watched the nightly news for the last six months is tired of it. washington loves to kick the can down the road. that's how we got here in the first place. this is our moment, we need a plan, not a republican manifesto and there are better plans out there. so again i ask my republican

colleagues, let us vote on a plan that has a chance. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. sex mr. sessions: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado. . mr. polis: again democrats were not consulted or talked to to ask their support or input and you won't find much support for a proposal that o could increase the deficit by over $110 billion over 10 years. the democratic plan is seeking to decrease the deficit by trillions of dollars rather than increase it by $100 billion as the republican plan does. madam speaker, i'd like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, my colleague on the rules committee, mr. mcgovern. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for three minutes. mr. mcgovern: rye rise in -- i rise in strong opposition to this closed martial law rule. today is a sad day. in just a few days the process in this house has completely

devolved. it's shays-meehanful. we have gone from open rules, to closed rules to same day martial law rule. all because a few extreme members of the house refuse to do the right thing. the rule today waves the -- paves the way for a bill that's worse than the ones the republicans pulled yesterday. that's not coming from us. it's pushing us further and further apart. these last few days have not been about trying to find the united solution, these last few days and weeks have been about trying to unite the house republicans. it has been wasted opportunities. for weeks and weeks and weeks my republican friends have walked away from a balanced, fair, and bipartisan approach allowing the united states to pay its bills. that walked away from a balanced, fair, and bipartisan approach to addressing the nage's -- nation's long-term fiscal challenges. democrats have been willing over and over and over again to move forward on such an approach. to be honest, i'm not thrilled with some of the things that

president obama has put on the table, but i'm willing to consider them in order to get past this crisis. unfortunately republican leadership in this house is unwilling to meet us halfway. they are not even willing to meet us a 10th of the way. all we are asking for, i think all the american people are asking for, is a balanced approach. all we are asking for is for everyone to chip in to solve this problem. i'll say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, if you got to ask seniors to more for their medicare, cut investments in transportation, medical research, and other programs, then the least you can do is ask the very wealthiest americans to pay their fair share. how in the world can nigh my friends on the other side of the aisle justify slashing medicare while they refuse to ask big oil and gas companies or corporate jet owners or hedge fund managers to give up the -- give up their unnecessary and unjustified taxpayer subsidies? but that's their position, madam speaker, not asking billionaires

to pay a little bit more but asking middle class families to pay a lot more. it's reckless, it's wrong, it's unfair. and i for one will not go along with it. my friend from texas, mr. sessions, says we have to make tough choices. i agree. we have to make tough choices. but why do you always have to be tough on working families or poor people or senior citizens? they didn't create this economic crisis. we are in this mess because of unpaid for tax cuts, mostly for wealthy people. we are in this mess because of two wars that are not paid for that are on our credit card. we are in this mess because of prescription drug bill that wasn't paid for. i would say to my colleagues, enough of the press releases. enough of the theatrics. enough of the political stunts. i urge you to reject this martial law rule and get back to the negotiating table and avert an economic crisis. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman continues to reserve time. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i'd like to yield two

minutes to the gentlewoman from connecticut, ms. delauro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from connecticut is recognized for two minutes. ms. delauro: we are now four days away from an historic unprecedented and needless default that could grind this economy to a halt. and yet even as they their disarray to the entire world, this house republican majority is continuing to hold on our nation hostage to press their radical agenda. worse only four days to go they are moving in the wrong direction. the speaker should have taken yesterday's rebuke by his own party as a clear indication he needs to go back to the drawing board and pass a debt ceiling increase that both parties can sign on to. instead he and the republican majority have doubled down on ideology and bringsmanship requiring that a balanced budget constitutional amendment, a total nonstarter that would threaten medicare and social security, be sent to the states before a second debt ceiling

increase is approved. this ensures another republican created crisis in only a few short months. this bill slashes $917 billion from critical public investment. education, infrastructure, research, law enforcement, food safety, and even though the spending on these programs is less than what it was under the reagan and the first bush administration. in fact, members of the majority even balked at $17 billion in pell grant funding in the bill because to some of them helping americans go to college is and i quote, the welfare of the 21st century. we know that deficits have grown because revenues are lower than they have been in the last 60 years. thanks to the bush tax cuts for the wealthy and the two wars that have been put on the nation's credit card. with 14 million unemployed we should be focused on creating jobs, putting americans back to work. it's time for the majority to

quit playing political games. start acting responsibly with the stewardship of our economy. i urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. start to work on what the american -- america needs most right now. that's jobs. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: madam speaker, thank you very much. i'm delighted that the gentlewoman comes down and talks about the -- this game that's going on about jobs. i'd like to ask unanimous consent to insert into the record a -- information on actual job tax increases and job hikes and what that does to american jobs. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sessions: madam speaker, i am i'm going to read from this article this past january illinois governor pat quinn signed into law a 67% increase in the state personal income tax rate. and a 45% increase in the state corporate tax rate.

between its passage then and june, illinois lost 56,223 jobs. to combat this job loss caused by higher taxes on business, the illinois department of commerce has already shelled out, and i quote, has already shelled out some $230 million in corporate subsidies to keep the more than two dozen companies from fleaing the state. -- fleeing the state. well, this is exactly what president obama is suggesting for america. the same thing that they do in his home state in illinois raise taxes substantially on all those rich people and corporations, madam speaker. 56,000 job loss. they are now having to spend an incredible amount of money to convince people, really to pay them off, just to stay.

this is the game that the democratic party plays. this is exactly what the gentlewoman was talking about about the serious elements of jobs and the consequences of killing jobs in this country. madam speaker, i will tell you the republican party will not fall victim to raising taxes like the democratic party and like president obama want us to do. we will not raise the debt limit without making tough choices. and, madam speaker, we are going to add jobs and do the things that are right that the american people expect us to do. that's why we are here today. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i have an article entitled debt ceiling impasse rattles short-term credit markets, again from "the new york times," discussing how this uncertainty that is not being caused by external factors but being caused by us, politicians, people here in this body is

rattling those who lend our country money. and that's why this bill before us today will increase the deficit by over $100 billion over 10 years. in addition to the spending cuts t. will cost taxpayers more in interest payments if it jeopardizes our credit rating. madam speaker, i'd like to submit this for the record. ask unanimous consent. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. polis: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from kentucky, mr. yarmuth. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized for two minutes. mr. yarmuth: i thank the gentleman from colorado. madam speaker, yesterday our republican colleagues said their party was using the leverage of the default crisis to get what they want. their ideological agenda passed. the problem is it's not what the american people want. our constituents have made it very clear that when we are trying to solve our deficit crisis, they want a real compromise. shared sacrifice where millionaires, billionaires, and oil companies are asked to contribute. they also want their social security and medicare benefits protected. now with the clock ticking on

the entire economy, they definitely don't want us wasting time on this hoax of a bill that has no chance of passing in the senate. the republicans took a bad bill and made it worse and less likely to pass. putting in the requirement for sending a constitutional amendment to the state which requires 2/3 of each body. if that doesn't happen, six months from now, what happens the country defaults again. that may help the republicans, may help the republican leadership save face with the tea parties in their party, but it does nothing to help the american people and save us from a pending economic chaos. this isn't leadership. it's the worst type of failure. it's a failure to stand up for what we know is right. a failure to stand up for the american people. and a failure to protect and preserve the united states of america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. at this time i'd like to yield

two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from savannah, georgia, the gentleman, mr. kingston. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. kingston: i thank the gentleman for yielding. madam speaker, americans have had to tighten their belts. all around the country american families have had to decide what is important to them and divide their needs from their wants. washington, d.c., has to do that. we have to have not just a balanced approach but we need to have a balanced budget. we need to cut our spending. we need to control our spending. and we need to have accountability. so that when washington politicians make decisions that the families back home can take a look at it and decide what are the consequences of these decisions. there haven't been a lot of consequences americans have suffered because of the failed economic policies of president obama. one must ask him or herself,

when will president obama admit that his stimulus program was a failure? when will the president admit that the consequences of his health care mandate has killed jobs? when will president obama admit that cash for clunkers wasn't such a great idea? most importantly, when will president obama admit that it's a failure of leadership to present a plan to balance the budget to congress? we need to see the president's plan. today we will be voting -- today we will be voting on yet another republican proposal to cut spending and control spending and give accountability to our process. but we have yet to have a bill introduced by the president of the united states. keep in mind, when he was president as a senator, he voted against increasing the debt ceiling citing lack of leadership. today the bill that we will be

considering cuts spendling -- spending now. it also controls spending because it has an across-the-board trigger that if we spend too much money, there will be a cut. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. sessions: one additional minute. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one more minute. mr. kingston: madam speaker, these cuts are real. they are measurable. these are what -- this is what the american people need to know. something that is accountable. this puts in place a 10-year budget. the united states senate under harry reid's leadership has not had a budget in three years. there is no end to their spending without a budget. american families have budgets. why doesn't the u.s. senate? this bill puts in accountability. 10 years' worth of accountability. it puts in controls and spending across the board triggers. finally, it has cuts to it. again, madam speaker, american

families have had to tighten their belt. washington must do the same thing. that's what we are doing here today. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this legislation and yes on the rule. thank you. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: the gentleman from georgia mentioned the president hasn't introduced a bill. i would like to point out the president of the united states cannot introduce a bill in the house or senate. the president can sign a bill n this particular case he said he would veto this bill because it increases the deficit by over $100 billion. i would like to submit to the record, madam chair, a study that shows the difference in interest rates between triple-a and a.a. rating. which shows in fact that if this bill is passed here today with only a six-month extension it would likely cost taxpayers over $100 billion. madam speaker i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from vermont, mr. welch. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. welch: i thank the gentleman.

what's going on here, madam speaker, is extraordinarily dangerous and it's completely unnecessary. we are using the full faith and credit of the united states, the reputation this country has had since its founding, that we are a country who pays our bills, we are using that as political leverage to get our way on budget and tax issues. that's wrong. it's dangerous. ronald reagan, no stranger to fierce tax and budget battles, would never allow the linkage to be made that would jeopardize the full faith and credit of the united states. we're a bigger and better country than to threaten that we won't pay our bills. this is wrong. we should raise the debt ceiling cleanly because that's what americans do. we pay our bills. second, the bill before us now is, as my friend from kentucky

said, making a bad bill worse. the process that americans want is a balance -- balanced approach. balance is revenues, along with cuts. democrats have to make concessions on cuts. we're prepared to do that, the president has led. but there's got to be revenues, particularly when we have a tax code that is completely a mess. what we've seen is in the biden discussions mr. cantor walked out when there were revenues on the table. the speaker walked out with the president when revenues were still on the table. and now this bill is attempting to impose a constitutional amendment and has no chance of passing and it in fact is a white flag of surrender to a small group in the republican caucus who won't pass the bill that was brought to us before. we've got to work together. that means we've got to put everything on the table. we've got to maintain our credit rating by paying our bills and we have to have a balanced

approach to long-term fiscal stability that requires revenues as well as -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. welch: i thank the speaker and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, at this time i'd like to yield to another one of our 87 new freshmen, a young man who was the mayor of rogers, arkansas, one of the most beautiful cities in america, and i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman, mr. womack. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas is recognized for two minutes. mr. womack: thank you, madam chairwoman. and i want to thank the gentleman not only for yielding some time but also for his glowing remarks about the great community, one of the 10 most livable cities in all of america that i have the privilege of presiding over for about 12 years as mayor, a city that continues to enjoy tremendous economic development and influence in the state of arkansas. and let me just say this, using that as a context for my remarks, that i think the model that the community that i had the privilege of presiding over

for 12 years is the model that washington needs. it's a model that balances its budget. when i inherited that city in 1999, as its mayor, it was not a balanced budget. government was in the way. the discriminant developer did not want to develop in that community because there were too many regulations, too many reasons why they could go elsewhere and have better margins. well, we changed all that and now this city is flourishing in a remarkable sort of way. and i want to steal something from a colleague of mine from mississippi that was said yesterday out on the triangle in a media event. he said, all across america we're sitting down with legal pads and we're drawing that line down the middle and we're discussing the amount of income that we have, this is what's happening to families around the country, what kind of income we have and what kind of expenses we have and where the expenses exceed the income we're having to make some very difficult choices as to what do we do

without? well, quite frankly i think that that's exactly what's happening in this congress right now. we have to take the legal pad out, we have to decide those things that we can do, that we need, and those things that we can do without based on the amount of income that we have coming in. the sad thing is in order to be able to create that kind of fiscal discipline, it's going to take something like a balanced budget amendment to the constitution in order to guarantee, to have an enforcement mechanism that this congress or future congresses cannot undo. so it's that context that i bring to the table today. could i have an additional 30 seconds? mr. sessions: i give the gentleman an additional minute. mr. womack: it is that basis on which i think this congress should rally behind the plan that we've offered today that's going to cap spending, that's going to couth cut spending and require a balanced budget amendment to the constitution so that future congresses can't put us in a similar situation that we are today. so i urge a yes vote, i support it wholeheartedly and i would

ask the american people to join us in promoting fiscal sanity by approving this piece of legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: thank you, madam speaker. i would like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oregon is recognized for two minutes. mr. blumenauer: i appreciate the gentleman's courtesy. well, we are approaching the real prospect of default for the first time in american history and we've wasted two days. while we've wasted two days the american public has lost over $400 billion of wealth as the stock market started to slide when speaker boehner walked away from negotiations with the president, while the republicans have been twisting arms to make a bill that could never pass the senate even more objectionable by chasing a few extreme members of their party instead of working with over 180 democrats on a balanced approach.

i would suggest that people think of three words. first is recklessness. this is the first time in history that we've taken the debt ceiling discussion and held it hostage, 102 times we have increased it. this is an entirely manufactured crisis. second is abuse. this is an abuse of power to try and hold this debt ceiling discussion hostage, refusing to compromise, trying to avoid a balanced approach that is supported by the american public and in what ultimately is going to be required to solve this problem. the third point is hypocrisy. on this floor earlier this week, when they actually had the chance to vote for real spending cuts that would be required

under their bizarre proposal for spending reductions in the future, when they had a chance to vote for it, this congress offered up by the republican study committee, and i think it was misguided but at least it was honest and what did the republicans do? they voted it down, 104 of them, including their own subcommittee chairman because it was too extreme. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. mr. sessions: i'd like to inquire about the time remain on both sides. the speaker pro tempore: will the gentleman hold, please? will the house be in order? members take their conversations off the floor. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to inquire about the time remaining on both sides, please. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas has five minutes. the gentleman from colorado has 8 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. sessions: i'll reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves.

the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to yield two minutes to mr. ellison. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized for two minutes. mr. ellison: madam speaker, many words will be spokened a pote -- at podiums on the house floor -- spoken at podiums on the house floor today. there are a few facts that need to stand in very stark contrast to all the incident. -- din. first, this has never happened in the history of the united states, not from the first congress until this very moment that a congress, a caucus in this body has tried to hold hostage the american economy in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. never before, never. we will distinguish ourselves as a body that has failed and had deliberately harmed the american economy because of objects nance, stubborness and recklessness.

first time. second, in three and less than a half days our nation will default. this will, without a doubt, cost dramatic amount of costs on the american people in almost every aspect of our lives, whether it's in the area of credit cards, mortgages and car notes and many other areas, our state and local governments' costs will go up, investors will suffer. this is in no way helpful and in dramatic contrast to everything we have ever done before. there's no doubt about it, madam speaker, the republicans and the democrats have a very different view of the role of government. democrats believe that a government in partnership with a free market work well to guarantee a strong economy for the american people.

and republicans see almost no role for government at all and speak derisively about government all the time. the american people i believe agree. the american people i believe will agree with the democrats and history will bear us out as being on the right side. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: madam speaker, day after day the american people receive more bad news, economic bad news about the shape our country is in. that is what republicans respond to. today news came out that the first quarter g.d.p. that was provided by the federal government, first quarter was actually wrong. dead wrong. they said that g.d.p. growth was 1.9%. today we find out it was .4%.

madam speaker, the disastrous results of the obama-pelosi years are evident. republicans want jobs, we need a middle class and we're willing to fight for it. that's why we're here today with commonsense legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from california, ms. lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for two minutes. ms. lee: thank you very much for yielding. i rise in opposition to this rule and in opposition to the bill that we will vote on later today. and, yes, the bush economic policies have really now come home to haunt us. it's shameful that the republican party continues to drive -- their drive to plunge our nation into default and our economy over the brink. and the bill that speaker boehner has unveiled today does exactly that. his plan fails to end the threat of default and his plan targets,

mind you, targets the programs aimed at america's most vulnerable, our seniors, our children and our low income families for more draconian cuts. and this plan would sign these cuts into the constitution. it would sign these cuts in stone into the constitution. trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor is morally wrong and it's economically bankrupt. this rule and this bill begins to erode and to dismantle medicare, medicaid and social security and it creates more unemployment, there will be more job loss as a result of this rule and bill. instead of creating jobs, the republicans are holding our economy hostage once again and threatening to plunge our economy back into recession. instead of quickly passing a clean debt ceiling vote and bill, the republicans are marching lock step toward default. instead of supporting the safety net that will protect our most vulnerable, the republicans are trying to balance our budget on

the backs of the poor while maintaining tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires and big oil and it's totally irresponsible to put forth a bill that would put the economy on the brink of disaster once again in six months. madam speaker, there's no time for these republican tea party games. this rule and this bill turns the american dream into a nightmare for millions. seniors need to know that they will receive their social security checks, veterans need to know that they can go to the doctor, small businessmen need to know that they can have the financial security and stability -- that they have the financial security and stability to secure jobs. defeat this boehner rule and bill. it's really a default boehner rule and bill. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to yield one minute to the gentleman from oregon, mr. defazio. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from oregon is recognized for one minute. mr. defazio: tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts solve all problems, especially for the millionaire and billionaire job creators. we're in the 10th year of the bush tax cuts, $4 trillion. we're in the third year of the obama tax cuts, $1 trillion. now we have to cut programs to continue the tax cuts that don't create jobs. what's one of the specified targets? student financial aid. hey, they don't know anybody at the country club who can't afford to put their kid through medical school, but at the top of their list is cutting student financial aid. cutting investments in transportation that can put millions to work, stopping taxes on the aviation industry which is, guess what? capturing the money, not lowering prices, and laying off 90,000 people and stopping critical infrastructure jobs for that industry. tax cuts, tax cut, tax cuts. let's get real, let's do things for the american people, put people back to work and solve the deficit problem.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: i'll continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas conditions -- continues to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i yield to the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. garamendi: thank you very much. very interesting progress here in america. there is a differencing view and right now we're trying to choose which path our nation will go. this is not about a deficit. this is about the very nature of america. it's about our heart and soul. are we going to be a country that uses all of our resources whether they are the public resources or the private resources to fill the needs of our people, their education, their health care, their well-being after they retire or are we going to go a different path and not use all of our potential? the republican proposal that's before us -- this is not the first -- but it would change america and really drive us back to the 19th century, a time in which the government did not have a social welfare

program such as social security and medicare. make no doubt about this and have no doubts that the proposal before us is a step, a very significant step towards ending social security and medicare. if that's what the american people want, well, we shall see. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman continues to reserve. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: thank you very much. i'd like to yield one minute to the gentleman from new york, mr. engel. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york for one minute. mr. engel: i thank the gentleman. you know, this is political theater at its worst. this bill has no chance of becoming law. it was extreme. it was put together so that the speaker could pick up the last two or three votes in the extreme element of the republican party. we refuse to be held hostage and the american people refuse to be held hostage. let me say to my republican colleagues, why don't you try working with us, why don't you try to work with the democrats, why don't we move to a sensible

middle and have a bill that can pass? this is what the american people want us to do. they are sick of the political posturing. they are sick of it day in and day out. we are now bringing our nation to a brink of financial disaster. meet us in the middle in order to balance our budget. we need to have a cut and spending, yes, but we need to have those who can apay more pay a little bit more and we need to close corporate tax loopholes, not protect the rich. my republican friends wants to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class, wants to tell seniors that social security as we know it will be destroyed, want to tell our students they cannot get pell grants. we don't want to do this. pass a clean, clean debt ceiling. that's what we need to do. we did it 18 times under reagan and eight time under bush. we ought to do now and stop the political charade. the speaker pro tempore: the time has expired.

the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. the reason we are here today is because we're spending too much money. another reason why we're here today is because the democratic party and the members, many of them have spoken today, took $500 billion out of medicare and that's why that system is in real trouble. republicans will save medicare, not bankrupt it like our friends, the democrat, have done. i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: thank you. i'd like to inquire the gentleman from texas we have just under two minutes left for our closing. does the gentleman have any remaining speakers? mr. sessions: i thank the gentleman for asking. i am the last speaker. mr. polis: thank you. i yield myself the remainder of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. polis: thank you, madam speaker. first, in response to the claim of the gentleman from texas in regards to saving medicare, well, if ending medicare is one

way of saving it, i guess that would be consistent. in fact, the republicans' package that was passed in the house phased out medicare. nobody under 55 would receive medicare. by definition, medicare is a medical insurance program for seniors. it would be replaced with a voucher that seniors need to get. so certainly getting rid of medicare, if you consider that a way of saving it, the republican budget will do that. but if you want to save medicare it requires cutting costs and investing in the system and making it work for more american families. again, what we have before us today, madam speaker, is not a solution. it's further political machinations in the house rather than talking to the president, rather than talking to the senate. unfortunately, the speaker of this body has chosen to talk to five or six people, move the bill further away from the middle, further away from what the president will sign, further away from what the senate will pass with only 3 1/2 days left. 3 1/2 days left before what? 3 1/2 days left before this

country jeopardizes our credit rating and our good standing as a nation that pays interest on our debt. and just as american families, when your credit score gets messed up, you pay more. taxpayers will pay more if this bill passes. madam speaker, it's been estimated that out of the approximately 1% interest rate increase that a down payment from a.a.a. to a.a. would provide will cost taxpayers over $1 trillion over 10 years. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. polis: and this bill will increase the deficit by $100 billion. i urge a no vote on the rule and the bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. i appreciate the conjecture the gentleman has made and extrapolated out of what this bill will do. in fact, the bill says we will approach in a reasonable way with respect to the american taxpayer and the marketplace

with a plan, a plan that will put america on sound financial footing which would be the envy of the world which is part of what the republican party would choose to do. madam speaker, once again, this rule provides the necessary flexibility for republican leadership needs to ensure that we do not fault on our obligations in the next four days. republicans will continue to provide sound, balanced and real leadership and to pass solutions while i believe the president continues on the pathway, along with the democratic party, as we've heard here today, of tax increases and job-killing ideas. 14 million americans unemployed. a $1,400,000,000,000 projected deficit this and over $14 trillion in debt. our current financial policies are simply not working. i don't know why we think we would continue doing what we've been doing when it doesn't work, but perhaps that's what our friends, the democrats,

want to do. we as republicans disagree. so i am asking the democratic colleagues, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, to join their republican colleagues and me for real fiscal change, cutting spending, reducing government programs. each of us help us encourage economic growth, not just as we heard in rogers, arkansas, but all over this country, it does work. putting americans back to work. madam speaker, i'd like to if i could ask unanimous consent to insert in the record texas bust -- bucks national unemployment trends because they do things that balance out the marketplace. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sessions: i applaud our speaker, the gentleman from ohio, john boehner, for his hard work and commitment to the american people and those people here in the house of representatives who will do their duty and provide for real and conservative solutions,

market-based answers to get our economy back on track. madam speaker, this republican house will not raise taxes. we will not raise spending. we will not yield to the old ways of taxing and spending and not listening and then thinking we know better than others. we are for the free enterprise system. we are for families back home. we're for job growth and real meaningful opportunities for future of our children and that is what we stand for. so we are here today. yes, we'll stay in town until we get our job done. we're the people that believe in the free enterprise system. we're the people that believe in people back home, and we're the people that are going to say no to washington, d.c., taxing, spending, big wasteful government. we are the people, the republican party, the elephants are in town and we got a great memory. we know what works.

so madam speaker, i encourage a yes vote on the rule and i move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on ordering the previous question on the resolution. those in favor will signify by saying aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the ayes have it. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: madam speaker, i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, andrew. -- the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. pursuant to clause 8 and clause 9 of rule 20, this 15-minute vote on ordering the previous question will be followed by five-minute votes on adoption of h.res. 382, if ordered, motion to suspend the rules on h.r. 440 by the yeas and nays and motion to suspend the rules on h.r. 2244, if ordered. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives.

any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 237 and the nays are 185 and the previous question is ordered. the question is on the adoption of the resolution. all those in favor say aye. and those opposed say no. the yice have it. the yice have it. the resolution a-- the ayes have it. the resolution is adopted. mr. polis: i ask the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in support of a -- taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, andrew. -- the yeas and nays are ordered. this is a five-minute vote.

[captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 236. and the nays are 186 and the resolution is adopted and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from new jersey, mr.

smith, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 440, as amended, on which the yeas and nays were ordered and the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 440, a bill to provide for the establishment of the special envoy to promote religious freedom of religious minorities in the near east and south central asia. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 402 and the nays are 20.

2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the unfinished business is on the question on suspending the rules and passing h.r. 2244 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: 2244, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 67 castle street in geneva, new york, as the corporal steven blaine riccione post office. the speaker pro tempore: those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: madam speaker, on that i ask the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. .

this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]