Paul
Ryan with the Republican response to the State of the Union Address
1/25/2011 Good
evening. I'm Congressman Paul Ryan from Janesville, Wisconsin - and Chairman here
at the House Budget Committee. President
Obama just addressed a Congressional chamber filled with many new faces. One face
we did not see tonight was that of our friend and colleague, Congresswoman Gabrielle
Giffords of Arizona. We all miss Gabby and her cheerful spirit; and we are praying
for her return to the House Chamber. Earlier
this month, President Obama spoke movingly at a memorial event for the six people
who died on that violent morning in Tucson. Still, there are no words that can
lift the sorrow that now engulfs the families and friends of the fallen. What
we can do is assure them that the nation is praying for them; that, in the words
of the Psalmist, the Lord heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds;
and that over time grace will replace grief. ***** As
Gabby continues to make encouraging progress, we must keep her and the others
in our thoughts as we attend to the work now before us. Tonight,
the President focused a lot of attention on our economy in general - and on our
deficit and debt in particular. He
was right to do so, and some of his words were reassuring. As Chairman of the
House Budget Committee, I assure you that we want to work with the President to
restrain federal spending. In
one of our first acts in the new majority, House Republicans voted to cut Congress's
own budget. And just today, the House voted to restore the spending discipline
that Washington sorely needs. The
reason is simple. A few years
ago, reducing spending was important. Today, it's imperative. Here's why. We
face a crushing burden of debt. The debt will soon eclipse our entire economy,
and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead. On
this current path, when my three children - who are now 6, 7, and 8 years old
- are raising their own children, the Federal government will double in size,
and so will the taxes they pay. No
economy can sustain such high levels of debt and taxation. The next generation
will inherit a stagnant economy and a diminished country. Frankly,
it's one of my greatest concerns as a parent - and I know many of you feel the
same way. ***** Our
debt is the product of acts by many presidents and many Congresses over many years.
No one person or party is responsible for it. There
is no doubt the President came into office facing a severe fiscal and economic
situation. Unfortunately, instead
of restoring the fundamentals of economic growth, he engaged in a stimulus spending
spree that not only failed to deliver on its promise to create jobs, but also
plunged us even deeper into debt. The
facts are clear: Since taking office, President Obama has signed into law spending
increases of nearly 25% for domestic government agencies - an 84% increase when
you include the failed stimulus. All
of this new government spending was sold as "investment." Yet after
two years, the unemployment rate remains above 9% and government has added over
$3 trillion to our debt. Then
the President and his party made matters even worse, by creating a new open-ended
health care entitlement. What
we already know about the President's health care law is this: Costs are going
up, premiums are rising, and millions of people will lose the coverage they currently
have. Job creation is being stifled by all of its taxes, penalties, mandates and
fees. Businesses and unions from
around the country are asking the Obama Administration for waivers from the mandates.
Washington should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. The President
mentioned the need for regulatory reform to ease the burden on American businesses.
We agree - and we think his health care law would be a great place to start. Last
week, House Republicans voted for a full repeal of this law, as we pledged to
do, and we will work to replace it with fiscally responsible, patient-centered
reforms that actually reduce costs and expand coverage. Health
care spending is driving the explosive growth of our debt. And the President's
law is accelerating our country toward bankruptcy. Our
debt is out of control. What was a fiscal challenge is now a fiscal crisis. We
cannot deny it; instead we must, as Americans, confront it responsibly. ***** And
that is exactly what Republicans pledge to do. Americans
are skeptical of both political parties, and that skepticism is justified - especially
when it comes to spending. So hold all of us accountable. In
this very room, the House will produce, debate, and advance a budget. Last year
- in an unprecedented failure- Congress chose not to pass, or even propose a budget.
The spending spree continued unchecked. ญญ ***** We
owe you a better choice and a different vision. Our
forthcoming budget is our obligation to you - to show you how we intend to do
things differently ... how we will cut spending to get the debt down... help create
jobs and prosperity ... and reform government programs. If we act soon, and if
we act responsibly, people in and near retirement will be protected. These
budget debates are not just about the programs of government; they're also about
the purpose of government. So
I'd like to share with you the principles that guide us. They are anchored in
the wisdom of the founders; in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence;
and in the words of the American Constitution. They
have to do with the importance of limited government; and with the blessing of
self-government. ญญ ***** We
believe government's role is both vital and limited - to defend the nation from
attack and provide for the common defense ... to secure our borders... to protect
innocent life... to uphold our laws and Constitutional rights ... to ensure domestic
tranquility and equal opportunity ... and to help provide a safety net for those
who cannot provide for themselves. We
believe that the government has an important role to create the conditions that
promote entrepreneurship, upward mobility, and individual responsibility. We
believe, as our founders did, that "the pursuit of happiness" depends
upon individual liberty; and individual liberty requires limited government. ญญ***** Limited
government also means effective government. When government takes on too many
tasks, it usually doesn't do any of them very well. It's no coincidence that trust
in government is at an all-time low now that the size of government is at an all-time
high. The President and the Democratic
Leadership have shown, by their actions, that they believe government needs to
increase its size and its reach, its price tag and its power. ญญ***** Whether
sold as "stimulus" or repackaged as "investment," their actions
show they want a federal government that controls too much; taxes too much; and
spends too much in order to do too much. And
during the last two years, that is exactly what we have gotten - along with record
deficits and debt - to the point where the President is now urging Congress to
increase the debt limit. We believe
the days of business as usual must come to an end. We hold to a couple of simple
convictions: Endless borrowing is not a strategy; spending cuts have to come first. ญญญญ ***** Our
nation is approaching a tipping point. We
are at a moment, where if government's growth is left unchecked and unchallenged,
America's best century will be considered our past century. This is a future in
which we will transform our social safety net into a hammock, which lulls able-bodied
people into lives of complacency and dependency. Depending
on bureaucracy to foster innovation, competitiveness, and wise consumer choices
has never worked - and it won't work now. We
need to chart a new course. ญญ***** Speaking
candidly, as one citizen to another: We still have time... but not much time.
If we continue down our current path, we know what our future will be. Just
take a look at what's happening to Greece, Ireland, the United Kingdom and other
nations in Europe. They didn't act soon enough; and now their governments have
been forced to impose painful austerity measures: large benefit cuts to seniors
and huge tax increases on everybody. Their
day of reckoning has arrived. Ours is around the corner. That is why we must act
now. ญญญญ***** Some
people will back away from this challenge. But I see this challenge as an opportunity
to rebuild what Lincoln called the "central ideas" of the Republic. We
believe a renewed commitment to limited government will unshackle our economy
and create millions of new jobs and opportunities for all people, of every background,
to succeed and prosper. Under this approach, the spirit of initiative - not political
clout - determines who succeeds. Millions
of families have fallen on hard times not because of our ideals of free enterprise
- but because our leaders failed to live up to those ideals; because of poor decisions
made in Washington and Wall Street that caused a financial crisis, squandered
our savings, broke our trust, and crippled our economy. Today,
a similar kind of irresponsibility threatens not only our livelihoods but our
way of life. ***** We
need to reclaim our American system of limited government, low taxes, reasonable
regulations, and sound money, which has blessed us with unprecedented prosperity.
And it has done more to help the poor than any other economic system ever designed.
That's the real secret to job creation - not borrowing and spending more money
in Washington. Limited government
and free enterprise have helped make America the greatest nation on earth. ญญ***** These
are not easy times, but America is an exceptional nation. In all the chapters
of human history, there has never been anything quite like America. The American
story has been cherished, advanced, and defended over the centuries. And
it now falls to this generation to pass on to our children a nation that is stronger,
more vibrant, more decent, and better than the one we inherited. Thank
you and good night. | 
