co-chairman, allen simpson, 18 years u.s. senator from wyoming noted for his colorful wit also warns against the growing immensity of the nation's public debt. >> the rest of the federal government including fighting two wars, social security, education, art, culture, you name it, veterans, the whole rest of the discretionary budget is being financed by china and other countries. >> currently, china holds $920 billion of the u.s. debt. if the u.s. does not change its debt habits in the next ten years, spending is expected to grow by some $2 trillion. that is $500 billion in social security, $500 billion in medicare. $300 billion in medicaid, and $650 to $700 billion in interest. >> we can't grow our way out of this. we could have decades of double digit growth and not get our way out of this debt problem. >> to combat the problem, the commission will have a plan by december 1 to cut the annual 3% within the next five years. >> question, will the bowl, simpson national debt commission just appointed by president obama make mat

allen simpson and the former clinton chief of staff co-chair the commission. live coverage sunday morning at 9:30 eastern on c-span. next, two former solicitors general from the clinton and bush administrations on the most important supreme court decisions this term, including the citizens united and chicago hearings. this is just under 1:20. >> welcome. writing about journalism, not describing the elena kagen hearings, but he could have been. we will try to make today's discussions more interesting. a couple of reminders. if you would please turn off your cell phones or silence them. for those out there, it is speaker@heritage.org. the moderator for our first panel has been a scholar here at the heritage foundation. he has served in all three branches of the federal government. >> welcome to everyone here in the audience and on behalf of the center for judicial and legal studies. i have the pleasure of introducing a respected teacher and friend and if they don't provoke each other, to provoke them in the rebuttal period. but i will introduce them alphabetical

the co-chairs of the nonpartisan debt and deficit commission, former republican senator allen simpson, and former clinton administration, chief of staff, said that if the government stays on its current path our crushing federal debt will destroy the country from within. he went on to describe it as a cancer on our nation. these are not just the latest wordings of the disaster we face if congress does not begin make the tough choices to restore fiscal disminute. washington politicians have heard it from policy experts, from public servants and above all from the people. when will they start to listen? how much plainer can we make the stakes? what more will it take to get the message through? i was proud to fight for the strongest possible debt commission and i will push congress for an up or down vote on each of their recommendations. but the co-chairs have already laid out what needs to be done to get our fiscal house in order and this house must not waste any opportunity to take action. as members put together the appropriation bills for the next fiscal year, they should work creati

former united states senator allen simpson and former congressman and secretary of commerce and transportation, norman mineta, met as boys when he was interred at heart mountain. both now serve on the board of the wyoming heart mountain foundation. under their leadership, the foundation is currently building an interpretive center that is scheduled to open next year. if the park is created, the wyoming heart mountain foundation has indicated its willingness to donate its land to the park service. no additional acquisition of private land is contemplated. creation of this park has strong local support in park county, wyoming, and as the author of the bill, i urge my colleagues to join me in voting for it. and, mr. speaker, though the gentlelady from guam raises an excellent point about the fact that i have questioned the propriety during these tough economic times of purchasing land in the previous bill, h.r. 4686, that is a proposal for the national park service to purchase land, and authorizing $4 million to do so. whereas, the heart mountain proposal is to donate the land if the national par