Energy Independence
Floor Speech
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for scheduling this Special Order and for taking the lead on addressing the challenges that are facing us with regard to the Biden energy policy in addition to a number of other areas where the Biden administration is doing so much to harm to the average American family.
At this critical juncture in our country's history, when our country is facing enormous challenges, it is becoming increasingly clear that President Biden and his administration are firmly unwilling to confront the stark realities of our Nation's fiscal path. Instead, the path we are on is marked by reckless, unnecessary spending and failed energy and economic policies, a direct result of years of out-of-control spending by Biden and the left.
This trajectory has not only jeopardized our economy but also significantly increased the daily costs burdening the American people, and not just with regard to their energy costs.
Just look at the tax-and-spend budget released by the Biden White House last week. We have all heard the promises that folks earning less than $400,000 won't see their taxes go up, but what we are actually seeing with inflation hidden in this budget is a hidden tax hitting every American.
Biden wants to increase Federal spending by $325 billion right away, on day one, pushing our national spending to over $86 trillion over the next decade. This means higher prices for everyday things, making life harder for all hardworking Americans.
Now, as March Madness begins, President Biden's budget talks a good game about fighting inflation, but his plan does the opposite. It is small ball set to make things more expensive for families across the country.
Here is the technical. Even with massive tax increases, his budget doesn't ever balance. It will keep adding to our national debt. The President plans to spend $7.3 trillion in just 1 year and push up our debt to $45 trillion by 2034. To cover this spending spree, the President is pitching $4.9 trillion in new taxes--not just on the rich but on every American.
In stark contrast, I proudly stand here today to commend my Budget Committee colleagues and my colleagues on the Republican Study Committee for releasing and approving balanced budgets for fiscal year 2025 weeks ahead of Biden's too little, too late proposal.
The budget approved by the House Budget Committee and the budget approved by the Republican Study Committee are testaments to the House's commitment to rein in unsustainable spending and get our Nation back on track. Compared to Biden's budget, our budgets propose no new taxes, balance the budget, and spend trillions less throughout the budget window.
For far too long, House Republicans have been sounding the alarm bells over the looming fiscal cliff that our Nation is facing. The RSC budget plan and the House Budget Committee budget are roadmaps to restoring fiscal responsibility and ensuring the prosperity of future generations.
It is not surprising to see the release of Biden's budget, which can only be described as a compilation of leftwing fantasies filled with wasteful spending that will undoubtedly add trillions more to the already $34 trillion debt burdening our country.
This is not the future that Americans deserve, nor is it a legacy that we should ever leave behind for our children and grandchildren. The American people demand and rightly deserve a budget plan that protects them from the looming debt disaster, and I am proud to highlight House Republicans' efforts to work toward delivering budgets that exemplify fiscal responsibility.
The House budget plan and the RSC budget are not just plans filled with numbers and forecasts. They are pledges to the American people to reinstate the fiscal sanity our country needs. We can either continue down the path of fiscal irresponsibility, saddling our Nation with debt and economic instability, or we can choose a new direction, one of prudence, accountability, and prosperity.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the fiscally responsible budgets proposed by the House Republican Budget Committee and the Republican Study Committee, and I urge leadership to bring both to the floor for a vote alongside the false hopes of the Biden budget.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
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