Senate Proceeding on Oct 21st, 2009 :: 1:05:20 to 1:23:40
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1:05:14 to 1:05:36( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senator from florida is recognized for 20 minutes. mr. lemieux: it is an honor for me to stand here on the floor of the united states senate on behalf of the state of florida to give my address. first let my thank my wife for her support.

1:05:20 to 1:23:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: George Voinovich

1:05:37 to 1:05:57( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: no one succeeds in life for me. she is the stprepbgt of our growing -- strength of our growing family of five, soon to be six and i would not be here without her love and support. it is humbling to think of those who have come before me and spoke before this body on the great issues of this day. i will not seek to match their skill in poetry or prose, but i

1:05:58 to 1:06:19( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: will work to honor them with clear and straightforward passages and resolve to follow words with deeds. it is the tradition of this chamber, as senator ted kennedy stated in his maiden address nearly 50 years ago, that a freshman senator should be seen,

1:06:20 to 1:06:41( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: not heard, should learn, not teach. but like senator kennedy who asked for the dispensation of his colleagues to speak to the great cause of civilights being debated at the time, i too concede the consideration of my collgues to stand and rise at such a critical time in our nation's history. during my first week here, the senior senator from ohio,

1:06:42 to 1:07:02( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: senator voinovich, told me that while my time in the senate may be short -- just 16 months -- is might be the most important 16 months in modern history. my brief experience here, mr. president, has confirmed the wisdom of his insight. the issue that commands the attention of this congress is

1:07:03 to 1:07:26( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: the health of our people, and proposals that address the problems of those who cannot afford or simply do not have health insurance. we seek solutions to the rising costs of medical procedures and hospital stays. we are in search of ways to ensure that every american has access to affordable and quality health care.

1:07:27 to 1:07:47( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: these are struggling with the high cost of health care. premiums for family health coverage have risen 131% over the past ten years. working families are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. between the demands of taxes and insurance, families have less and

1:07:48 to 1:08:10( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: their own priorities. health care costs are burdensome on our senrs as well, who while covered by medicare, often buy additional insurance to supplement their needs. rising costs for seniors living on fixed incomes proves more than difficult. still more troubling are those that have no insurance at all,

1:08:11 to 1:08:31( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: some 4 million americans and an estimated 45 million americans nationwide. for many of the uninsured, a serious illness or an accident is all that may separate them from bankruptc so i believe the problem of health care must be addressed. no american should be access to quality health care. no american should be rendered destitute by illness.

1:08:32 to 1:08:53( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: and no american family should have to live paycheck to paycheck because they can't find affordable health care. the problem is great, and it is one worthy of our full attention. but before we can address health care and the costf reform, we need to consider the broader state of

1:08:54 to 1:09:16( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: find ourselves in. we need to drawback the curtain, widen the lens. no issue, even one as important as health care, stands alone. we have responsibilities in other equally important like national defense and education and the economy. and balanced equally with all of these priorities must be our

1:09:17 to 1:09:38( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: ability to afford them. our nation's spending problem is not a topic that many like to discus it is, aer all, more desirable to speak of new ideas and grand plans for the future. but that very future is if we do not address the problem now. our national debt grows at an

1:09:39 to 1:09:59( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: alarming rate of nearly $4 billion a day. when i took office just five weeks ago, our national debt was $11.7 trillion. today it is nearly $12 trillion. during the time it will take for me to give this address, it will increase by another since the debate began on health

1:10:00 to 1:10:20( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: care in march until the time it likely concludes at the end of this year, we will amass an additional $1 trillion, near to the very amount that we are discussing for this health care proposal. and instead of spending less to stem the tide, we learned last friday that in t fiscal year we just completed, congress

1:10:21 to 1:10:42( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: amassed a record-setting $1.4 trillion budget deficit, a larger single-year deficit than the deficits of the last four years combined. mr. president, our government spending is out of control and is simply unsustainable. why does it matter?

1:10:43 to 1:11:03( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: wh accumulating trillions of dollars in debt? what does it mean for us, for our children, and for our grandchildren? the consequences are a government hamstrung by its obligations and a people taxed beyond their ability to prosper.

1:11:04 to 1:11:25( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: last year our nation spent $253 billion alone on the interest payments for our debts. that is a statement worth repeating. last year our country spent $253 billion alone on interest payments, the third-highest expenditure in the federal budget.

1:11:26 to 1:11:46( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: that's nearly $700 million in taxpayer dollars spent on interest every day. money that could be spent on worthwhile programs or, better still, returned to the people, because, after all, it is their money. in ten years the white house projects our national debt will

1:11:47 to 1:12:07( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: be a staggering $23 trillion, surpassing the entire value of goods and services made in the united states in one now i hav't been in washington for lon so it's hard for me to comprehend the idea of $1 billion, let alone $1 trillion.

1:12:08 to 1:12:28( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: and i think that's true for most americans. so it is worth a moment to understand the enormity of these figures. if you were to lay down single dollar bills edge to edge, $1 million would cover two football fields. $1 billion would cover the city

1:12:29 to 1:12:50( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: of key west, florida, about 3.7 miles. and $1 trillion laid edge to edge would cover the state of rhode island twice. still more staggering, from the time our government began in 1789, it took 167 years for the federal government to spend its first $1 trillion.

1:12:51 to 1:13:12( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: this year we will spend $3 trillion. increasing debt, increasing cost of entitlement spending and increasing interest payments mean we are on a path which is unsustainable. and the american people know this, and they are showing their frustration with congress's out-of-control spending. we need to learn from families

1:13:13 to 1:13:34( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: in america, families in across florida deal with their budgets every day. they sit around the kitchen table. they look at what they make and what they spend, and they try to make ends meet. but the federal government is like that family with the credit card debt. every month the debt grows, the interest compounds as families

1:13:35 to 1:13:55( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: spend more and more just to make the minimum payment. and yet the balance due continues to grow. in order to get out of debt, the family has to do the right thing. it has to cut spending or mom or dad has to get another job. and if the family does the right thing, it pays off its debt, it can save a little, build a nest

1:13:56 to 1:14:16( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: egg and recover. if they do not, they reach that point where the debt grows out of control. they reach the point where they are too far gone. the federal government has reached that moment in time. in the past 27 years, we have gone from $1 trillion to $12 trillion in debt, and it's

1:14:17 to 1:14:37( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: estimated that by the end of ten years, we will be $24 trillion in debt. mr. president, the point of no return is upon us. we must recognize this simple truth: we cannot afford the government we have, let alone the government that the majority

1:14:38 to 1:14:58( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: in this chamber want. we ought to be cutting taxes, not raising them. we ought to be sperpbgd within our means -- spending within our means, not increasing our debt. we ought to be fighting with the same vigor to cut waste, fraud and abuse that some fight to create new entitlement programs that we cannot afford. it has also become clear that

1:14:59 to 1:15:19( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: our policies of limitless spending threaten our dollar. recent supports suggest a rush by u.s. investors to pull their for emerging markets. investors find markets like chain and brazil to be more attractive because those nations use their financial reserves to weather the economic crisis.

1:15:20 to 1:15:41( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: there is also talk that perhaps the dollar is not t for the currency. the dollar is held now at its lowest point on rec reserve cren sift central banks around the world. our unsustainable spending and debt and inability to make the decisions necessary to change

1:15:42 to 1:16:03( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: course is decreasing confidence in our nation abroad, and if not corrected, it will impact the quality of life for all americans. so what is the answer? the answer is we have to stop. we have to stop financing today's programs on the backs of future generations.

1:16:04 to 1:16:25( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: common sense tells us we need to balance the federal budget. the federal government has not done in a since 2001. there is no reason why it cannot happen again. the framers idea of limited government is one weefnedz to pursue and we need to do it if weave the will to make it so. as the father of three young

1:16:26 to 1:16:47( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: sons and a baby on the way, one of my greatest concerns is that one day one of my children will come to me when they are grown and say that they are moving to another cntry, perhaps a place like ireland or chile, because they believe the opportunities in that country are greater than the promise and the opportunities of america.

1:16:48 to 1:17:09( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: even now, as many as 200,000 skilled american workers could leave for places like china and india in the next five years. america has always been the land of opportunity, a beacon for those who seek a better life. that light cannot be darkened. let us not stand witness to the

1:17:10 to 1:17:31( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: decline of our great nation. let us not sit idly by so that the work and sacrifice of those who came before us can be squandered. let us not miss out on this moment to shoulder this burden of leadership, to do what we must do for our children, their children, and the american dream. their future is bound to the

1:17:32 to 1:17:53( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: decisions that we make. i come from a state where a balanced budget is a constitutional requirement, where lawmakers are required to spend within their means, and it's not always easy. in fact, it's often a painstaking process that requires leadership and tough choices, with republicans and democrats sitting down together

1:17:54 to 1:18:14( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: to make responsible decisions. in the past three years in florida, governor crist and the florida legislature have cut spending by more than $7 million, almost 10% of the state budget. florida has made tough choices because it must, because lawmakers in 1838dopted language requiring ourtate to

1:18:15 to 1:18:36( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: have a balanced budget. it works for florida, mr. president, and 41 other states, and it can work for our nation. the federal government should be held to the same standard. this congress must balance its budget. there is no reason why congress cannot do what american families and the majority of states do.

1:18:37 to 1:19:01( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: there is also no reason why the president of the united states should not hav the same powers 43 governors do to strike wasteful spending with a line-item veto. these issues are not partisan. republicans and democrats alike should chart a course to a balancebalanced budget to reduce the national debt and restore the american dream.

1:19:02 to 1:19:23( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: we were promised a budget deficit-neutral health care plan. president obama said to a joint session of congress, he will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits, now or in the future. i'm encouraged by the president's words, but i am concerned by the proposals that i have we've seen. cutting a half trillion dollar from med compare is not budget-neutral.

1:19:24 to 1:19:46( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: shifting costs to the states for increases in medicaid is not responsible. and taxing medicine and lifesaving devices will increase, not decrease, the cost of health care, and that is not reform. the fact is we don't know where the money is coming from to pay for the proamed heah care plan

1:19:47 to 1:20:07( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: and in light of our desperate financial situation, we cannot budget on faith alone. just last week i participated in a hearing to priums in a program designed to let federal employees buy long-term health care. employees were given two options: a fixed option that had a higher cost but guanteed their

1:20:08 to 1:20:28( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: premiums would not go up and a variable option, which was less expensive but it provided no guarantee. smart federal employees pai a little bit more to ghat guaranteed plan. to get that guaranteed plan. but it's not going to be that way because now the federal government has come back and said, we were wrong. we can't ensure the premiums at the guaranteed rate, and we're

1:20:29 to 1:20:49( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: going to raise your rates by 25%. the government made a mistake. the government got it wrong. and now these federal employees who did the right thing are going to have to pay for it, more than 6,000 of them from florida. if the federal government can't get it right for 250,000 federal employees, how is the government

1:20:50 to 1:21:10( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: going toet it right for 45 million americans? i stand with my colleagues on this side of the aisle ready to create access to health care without sacrificing quality. and it has to make financial sense. we stand ready to address the issue of portability, allowing meme to keep their health insurance whether they change

1:21:11 to 1:21:32( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: jobs or move across state lines. we stand ready to offer ideas to make health insurance more affordable to small businesses, which can join exchanges to offer lower premiums for their employees. and we stand ready to address the incidents of doctors practicing defensive medicine which drives up costs. and finally, we stand ready to

1:21:33 to 1:21:53( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: focus on stopping the estimated fraud, and abuse and using those funds to care for our people. current proposals do little to dref these problems. we want to work in a bipartisan fashion to create a bipartisan bill.

1:21:54 to 1:22:15( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: spend less, save more -- in this and in everything. the reality is that our nation is hungry tar a new course, a course -- is hungry for a new course, a course that takes better care of the people's money. some may call this thinking naive, but i call it hopeful. since our nation was founded, there has been one constant people have carried forth: mr. president, i consider it the

1:22:16 to 1:22:36( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: american creed. the creed is this: each generation has the obligation to provide a better future for its children than the generation before it. we cannot fulfill this promise on our current course, and that truth is so evident, even our

1:22:37 to 1:22:58( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: children understand it. i want to close with the words of one of my constituents, 12-year-old joshua melo of nic niceville, florida. joshua is concerned about the very issues we talk about today. he is concerned with his share of the national debt and how he is going to pay for it.

1:22:59 to 1:23:23( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: he wrote to me in september, and this is what he said said. he wrote: here is an example of how long me, a 12-year-old, would have to pay off my share of the national debt. if i worked at home depot and i get paid $10 per hour, it would take me almost eight years of

1:23:24 to 1:23:42( Edit History Discussion )

George Voinovich: full-time work to reach $is $161,000, my share of the national dt." he goeson say, "the debt will affect all the kids in america, so please find a way to fix your own mistakes before the children of today have to pay for your