House Proceeding 03-06-09 on Mar 6th, 2009 :: 0:32:05 to 0:42:25
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0:32:01 to 0:32:23( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: spea much time and because of that, i'm very happy to yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back his time. the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. obey: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. obey: madam speaker, i don't know how many of us

0:32:05 to 0:42:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: David R. Obey

0:32:24 to 0:32:45( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: remember the old song, "shine on harvest moon," i'm reminded this morning more of whine on, harvest moon when i hear some of the complaints lodged about budget practices by our friends

0:32:46 to 0:33:08( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: on the other side of the aisle. i alsom temperatured to ask, where on earth is herbert hoover? but then i come to the realization, which is obvious, that he is alive and well and resides in the house republican caucus. .

0:33:09 to 0:33:30( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: i by folks on that side of the aisle, the folks who did such a brilliant job of running this institution and running this econom for the last eight years. i find it interesting to be lectured on fiscal

0:33:31 to 0:33:51( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: responsibility by people who borrowed $1.2 trillion in order to pay for tax cuts primarily for the wealthiest people in this country all on borrowed money. i find it interesting to be lectured by people who manage to

0:33:52 to 0:34:14( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: borrow almost $1 trillion so far to fund what i regard as the most avoidable and dumbest war in american history in iraq. paid for the whole war on the cuff. i find it ironic to be lectured about earmarks by the party that

0:34:15 to 0:34:39( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: spent twice as much money on earmarks as we are spending since we took over and reformed the earmarking process. i also find it interesting to be lectured about economics by the folks who presided over a government which in the words of f.d.r. was frozen in the ice of

0:34:40 to 0:35:00( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: its own indifference while 90% of all of the income growth in this country the p years went into the pockets of our society, leaving everybody else looking for table scraps. i do find all of that interesting.

0:35:01 to 0:35:22( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: i don't find it particularly productive. i think we ought to get back to what we don't like or do like about what's happened in this institution, but i think we ought to focus instead on what's happening outside this institution to average americans all over the country.

0:35:23 to 0:35:44( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: and as has been noted several times this morning, the recent figures out of the labor department now indicate that unemployment has now risenbove 8%, we are told by the most reputable economists in the country it's libel to rise above

0:35:45 to 0:36:06( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: 10% or even significantly worse. we see almost 700,000 new workers who are unemployed today in comparison to last month. we have lost three million jobs since the democratic party in the house tried to produce the

0:36:07 to 0:36:27( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: first economic stimulus bill, modest though it was, in september of last year. and we are now debating a bill which is $20 billion for education, for health care, for

0:36:28 to 0:36:49( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: sciee and the like, which is $20 billion above the budget request made by president bush last year. and that sounds like a lot of money until you compare it to the $200 billion that this

0:36:50 to 0:37:11( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: economy has already lost because of its shrinkage just in the last three months of last year. and that $0 billion in increased government funding looks mighty small in comparison to the $200 billion more that

0:37:12 to 0:37:34( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: have seen the economy shrink by in the first three months of this year. leaving a total hole in the economy for just that six-month period of $400 billion. we are trying in this bill to

0:37:35 to 0:37:56( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: provide the funding which was the base for the stimulus bill that we passed just three weeks ago in this place. and they are intimately related to each other and this is an the stimulus package which is supported by the american people

0:37:57 to 0:38:19( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: in the most recent polls by well over 60% of the american public. they understand that when the economy is contracting at a record rate, squeezing millions of americans out of the circle of prosperity, that we've got to respond to try to reinflate that

0:38:20 to 0:38:41( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: economy again. and so this bl plays a small but crucial role in doing that. our friends on the other side of the aisle say we should just do a full year's c.r. well, if you do, you will come

0:38:42 to 0:39:02( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: in virtually identically, very close at least, to the -- to president bush's budgerequest for these programs. i don't think in a time of of near economic collapse that we want to do that.

0:39:03 to 0:39:23( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: i don't believe that we nt to eliminate the funds in this bill that are meant to deal with the social security disability backlog. i don't believe that we want to see the federal housing administration cease to have the ability to issue mortgage

0:39:24 to 0:39:44( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: insurance in april as would be the case if we simy provided funding at the level that our friends want us to provide under their motion to recommit. i don't believe that we should follow a course of action which would mean that we could provide

0:39:45 to 0:40:05( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: no new targeted vouchers for disabled and homeless veterans. and i don't believe that we should eliminate the $37 million that we have in this bill to enhance enforcement, oversight, and investor protections at the securities and exchange

0:40:06 to 0:40:26( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: commission. and neither do i believe that we ought to cut these programs to the levels supported and requested by president bush last year. if we did that, we would be cutting the job corps by $46 million. we would be eliminating the

0:40:27 to 0:40:49( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: employment service grants. we would be cutting senior jobs programs by $172 million. we would be eliminating vocati community services block grant program and so many others. so i think the point is obvious

0:40:50 to 0:41:11( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: we really have operating here two different parties with two different visions for the future of this country. and we believe that when the private sector is essentially collapsing, as it is right now, that the government has an opportunity to step in and do what it can through fiscal policy and through supporting

0:41:12 to 0:41:32( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: crucial programs such as contained in the omnibus bill so that we can counter the economic destruction that's going on in the private secr of the economy. that's what this bill tries to do. if members are more comfortable with the idea that we should simply glide along, do nothing,

0:41:33 to 0:41:54( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: stick to the way we did things last year, be my guest. i don't think that's going to help the economy very much. i don't think it's going to impress the american people very much. so i would urge rejection of the motion to recommit when it's offered and i would urge passage of this re

0:41:55 to 0:42:16( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: in the end passage of this resolution is necessary in order to keep the government opened, and that's what we ought to do today by passing this resolution. with that balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin yields back his time. all time for debate has expired. pursuant to the order of the house today, the joint resolution is considered as read

0:42:17 to 0:42:25( Edit History Discussion )

David R. Obey: and the previous question is ordered. the question is on ingrossment and -- engrossment and third reading of the resolution. so many as are in favor say ay thos the aye vs. it.