Date: 2013-03-05
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As one of the earlier speakers said during the 1 minutes. this bill simply requires a math calculation. and we have absolutely no objection to doing that. As the gentleman may know. about a month ago we passed an amendment that did virtually the same thing. I do wonder why it is we think the President is better with a calculator than Congress. Because what this does require simply is that you take the deficit and you divide it by the number of taxpayers. But were certainly fine to have transparency and have the President put that in his budget as part of his submission as well. Our concern is that this really doesnt address the fundamental question that were facing here in the Congress: number one. making sure we get the economy kicked into full gear. and jobs. and. number two. reducing the deficit in a smart and balanced way over a period of time so that were not balancing the budget on the backs of our seniors. that were not violating commitments weve made to our seniors. that were not cutting into education funding for our kidswhich is important to making sure that the economy grows and that they have opportunities in their livesand that we do that in a smart way that doesnt. in the process. result in fewer American jobs. So the real number we should be focused on here today is 750.000. because 750.000 is the number of jobs that the independent. nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says will be lost so long as the sequester that began March 1 remains in place through the end of this year. So let me say that again. So long as the sequester that started on March 1 remains in place through the end of the calendar year. the independent. nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that we will have 750.000 fewer American jobs. Thats not President Obamas number. its not my number. its an independent number. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Ben Bernanke. was on the Hill testifying just last week and made similar predictions. They have bothboth the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Ben Bernanke. as well as the Congressional Budget Officesaid that our economic growth between now and the end of the year will be reduced by a full onethird if the sequester remains in place. So thats what this House should be doing. Today. a little later today. for the fourth time this yearfor the fourth time this year. Mr. SpeakerI will go. on behalf of my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus. to the Rules Committee and ask for the opportunity to vote on a piece of legislation that would replace that sequester in a smart and balanced way and in a way that doesnt result in 750.000 fewer American jobs. Now. you would think our colleagues would want to vote on something like that instead of voting on a bill that just requires a math calculationwhich is finebut it doesnt do anything about jobs. and it doesnt actually do anything to reduce the deficit. But weve not been given that opportunity. So I would just ask my colleagues: Why is it so important to bring a bill to the floor that asks the President to do another math calculationwhich we all can supportand not bring to the floor of the House a bill that actually would prevent the loss of 750.000 jobs and present a balanced plan to reducing the deficit in a way that doesnt harm the economy? That really is the question here today. Mr. Speaker. and maybe at some point well get an answer. And maybe this House will live up to its promise of being the peoples House and a transparent House. and well actually get a vote on our fourth request. Im not holding my breath. but it would be nice if those commitments would be kept. as well. I reserve the balance of my time.