Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
RECOGNIZED.
MR. INHOFE: I ASK UNANIMOUS
CONSENT THE QUORUM CALL IN
PROGRESS BE VITIATED.
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT
OBJECTION, SO ORDERED.
MR. INHOFE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I
AM WAITING NOW FOR THEM TO BRING
UP A BILL THAT I HAVE FILED
TODAY AND WILL HAVE A NUMBER TO
GO WITH IT, WHICH I'LL ANNOUNCE
IN JUST A MOMENT.
LET ME, FIRST OF ALL, SAY THAT
THE TALK OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW IS IN THE
SEQUESTRATION, THE PROBLEMS THAT
WE'RE HAVING.
I WOULD ONLY OBSERVE, I DON'T
KNOW WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT FOR
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, BUT
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS WRITTEN FOUR
BUDGETS, AND HE -- THESE BUDGETS
HAVE COME BEFORE US.
IF YOU'LL ADD UP ALL OF THE
DEFICITS IN THE FOUR BUDGETS IT
COMES TO $5.3 TRILLION OF
DEFICITS.
AND I SUGGEST THAT IS MORE
DEFICIT THAN ALL PRESIDENTS IN
THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY FOR
THE PAST 200-PLUS YEARS.
AND SO PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW DID
WE GET INTO THIS MESS.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE THAT KIND
OF A DEFICIT OVER A PERIOD OF
TIME, YOU WONDER WHERE IT'S KOLG
FROM.
LET ME TELL YOU WHERE IT DIDN'T
COME FROM, IT WASN'T SPENT ON,
AND THAT'S MILITARY.
I WENT OVER THE FIRST -- THAT
FI RST BUDGET THAT PRESIDENT
OBAMA HAD.
I WENT OVER TO AFGHANISTAN SO I
COULD MAKE SURE THAT I COULD GET
THE ATTENTION OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND LET THEM KNOW JUST
HOW THIS DISARMING OF AMERICA BY
PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS GOING.
IF YOU REMEMBER THAT FIRST
BUDGET, MADAM PRESIDENT, THAT'S
ONE THAT, LET'S SEE, THAT CUT
OUT OUR ONLY FIFTH GENERATION
FIGHTER, THE F-22, OUR LIFT
CAPACITY, THE C-17, THE FUTURE
COMBAT SYSTEM, THE GROUND-BASED
INTERCEPTOR IN POLAND.
THAT WAS JUST THE FIRST BUDGET.
THEN IT'S GOTTEN WORSE SINCE
THAT TIME.
SINCE THERE ISN'T TIME TO GO
INTO THAT DETAIL YEAR BY YEAR,
OEUPBLD SAY THAT THE
PRESIDENT'S -- I WOULD ONLY SAY
THAT THE PRESIDENT'S CUT IN HIS
BUDGET OVER THE NEXT DECADE $487
BILLION, ROUGHLY $500 BILLION, A
HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS IN
DEFENSE SPENDING OVER THE NEXT
TEN YEARS.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- AND THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY
FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THEY ASSUME
THAT WHEN WE SEND OUR KIDS INTO
BATTLE THAT THEY HAVE THE BEST
OF EQUIPMENT.
AND THIS JUST FLAT ISN'T TRUE.
THE PWEURBGT HAVE AN -- THE
BRITISH HAVE AN AS-90, BETTER
THAN OURS; THE RUSSIANS THE TWO
S-19, BETTER THAN OURS; EVEN
AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA THAT IS A
SYSTEM THAT IS A BETTER NONLINE
OF SIGHT CANNON THAN WE HAVE IN
OUR ARSENAL.
THE CHINESE HAVE A J T-PB 10.
IT'S -- THE CHINESE HAVE A J-10,
AND THEY ARE BETTER THAN OURS.
THE POINT I'M MAKING HERE IS
THAT THERE JUST HAS BEEN NO
EMPHASIS.
IF YOU GO OUT AND YOU BORROW AND
INCREASE THE DEFICIT BY $5.3
TRILLION AS THIS PRESIDENT IS
DOING, YOU'D THINK THAT WE WOULD
BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE A LOT
MORE ROBUST MILITARY, BUT
THAT'S -- BUT THE MILITARY'S
BEEN CONSISTENTLY CUT FOR THAT
PERIOD OF TIME.
NOW, THE -- IN THE EVENT THAT
THE OBAMA SEQUESTRATION AS IT'S
DESIGNED RIGHT NOW GOES THRURBGS
THAT WILL BE ANOTHER -- GOES
THROUGH, THAT WILL BE ANOTHER
$500 BILLION THAT WILL COME OUT
OF THE MILITARY.
EVEN THE PRESIDENT'S OWN
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, SECRETARY
PANETTA, HAS SAID IF THESE CUTS
TAKE PLACE, TALKING ABOUT THE
OBAMA SEQUESTRATION CUTS, IT
WOULD BE -- QUOTE --
"DEVASTATING TO THE MILITARY" WE
WOULD HAVE THE SMALLEST GROUND
FLEET SINCE 1940, THE SMALLEST
FLEET OF SHIPS SINCE 1915 AND
THE SMALLEST TACTICAL FIGHTER
CAPABILITY FORCE IN THE HISTORY
OF THE AIR FORCE.
SO IF YOU WANT US TO, THE UNITED
STATES TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THE
TYPE OF GLOBAL LEADERSHIP OUR
PEOPLE HAVE COME TO EXPECT AND
MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE -- WHEN YOU TALK
TO THEM, THEY ARE SHOCKED WHEN
THEY FIND OUT OTHER COUNTRIES
HAVE THINGS THAT ARE BETTER THAN
WE HAVE.
IF YOU WANT TO BEAT THIS, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THE, NUMBER ONE, WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN THE MILITARY AND
NUMBER, TWO, THE SEQUESTRATION.
I'VE GOT IT ALL IN ONE BILL, AND
IN A MINUTE WE'LL GET A NUMBER
FOR THAT BILL.
OR DO WE HAVE IT ALREADY?
ANYWAY IT'S CALLED THE
SEQUESTRATION PREVENTION ACT OF
2012.
AND IT REPLACES THIS
SEQUESTRATION CUTS WITH SOME
SMART REFORMS.
I'M GOING TO RUN OVER THOSE IN
JUST A MINUTE TO SHOW YOU WHAT
THEY ARE.
IT REPEALS THE SEQUESTER AND
REPLACES THE $1.2 TRILLION AND
THEN HAS A LOT OF MONEY LEFT
OVER.
LET ME KIND OF GO OVER WHAT THIS
BILL WOULD DO.
PEOPLE KEEP SAYING WE CAN'T DO
ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE
SEQUESTRATION, THE CUTS.
WE HAD THIS GREAT COMMITTEE
THAT'S SUPPOSED POSSIBLE OUT
THERE FINDING $1.2 TRILLION OVER
A TEN-YEAR PERIOD AND YET WE HAD
A PRESIDENT WHO WAS ABLE TO GIVE
US THE DEFICITS OF FIVE TIMES
THAT MUCH OVER JUST A FOUR-YEAR
PERIOD.
WELL, WHAT IT DOES, FIRST OF
ALL, TO COME UP WITH THIS $1.2
TRILLION PLUS REBUILDING THE
MILITARY, NOW WE WANT TO REBUILD
THE MILITARY, IN MY ESTIMATION,
UP TO 4% OF G.D.P.
FOR THE LAST 100 YEARS PRIOR TO
1990, FOR 100 YEARS THE AVERAGE
DEFENSE SPENDING CONSTITUTED
5.7% OF G.D.P.
THAT'S AVERAGE, IN TIMES OF WAR,
IN TIMES OF PEACE.
IT'S ALL THE WAY DOWN AFTER HIS
SEQUESTRATION TO BELOW 3%, IN
OTHER WORDS ABOUT HALF OF THAT.
SO WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH THE
ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT COME FROM
THIS BILL THAT I'M INTRODUCING
TODAY IS PUT THAT BACK INTO THE
MILITARY AND BRING US UP TO 4%
OF G.D.P.
STILL, CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN
WHERE WE HAVE BEEN OVER THE LAST
100 YEARS.
SO THE FIRST THING IT DOES,
COMPLETELY REPEALS OBAMACARE.
IT ADOPTS PAUL RYAN'S APPROACH
TO BLOCK GRANTING THE MEDICAID
PROGRAM SO THAT STATES HAVE
COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THE
DOLLARS THAT THEY USE TO REACH
THEIR LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS
WITH HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE.
NOW, TOGETHER, THESE TWO CHANGES
WILL REDUCE BY $1.1 TRILLION
OVER TEN YEARS.
SECONDLY, IT RETURNS NONDEFENSE
DISCRETIONARY, NONDEFENSE
DISCRETIONARY FUNDING TO THE
2006 LEVELS.
WHEN THIS PRESIDENT CAME IN,
THAT SURGED.
THE AMOUNT OF THE NONDEFENSE
DISCRETIONARY SPENDING SURGED.
THIS WOULD HAVE A SAVINGS OVER
THAT PERIOD OF TIME OF
$952 BILLION.
THIRDLY, IT BLOCK GRANTS THE
FOOD STAMP PROGRAM AND CONVERTS
IT INTO DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS
SO THE STATES HAVE COMPLETE
CONTROL OVER THE DESIGN OF THEIR
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO
BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR
LOW-INCOME POPULATION.
THIS PROVISION REVERSES THE
MASSIVE EXPANSION THAT WE HAVE
SEEN OF THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION,
WHICH HAS LITERALLY DOUBLED IN
SIZE, UP TO 100% SINCE HE TOOK
OFFICE.
ON PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
INAUGURATION DAY, JUST UNDER
32 MILLION PEOPLE WERE ON FOOD
STAMPS.
TODAY IT'S MORE THAN 46 MILLION
PEOPLE.
THEY RECEIVED THESE BENEFITS.
SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO STOP.
IT WILL CONTINUE TO GO UP IF WE
DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
THIS PROVISION SAVES
$285 BILLION.
BY THE WAY, I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
FARM PROGRAM, THE FARM PROGRAM
IS REALLY A WELFARE PROGRAM
BECAUSE THEY INCREASE THE -- ALL
OF THESE PROVISIONS AND CALL IT
PART OF THE FARM BILL.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT SUBJECT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
NOT TODAY BUT LATER.
THE FOURTH THING IT DOES, THE
LEGISLATION REDUCES THE FEDERAL
WORK FORCE BY 10% THROUGH
ATTRITION.
NOBODY OUT THERE IS GOING TO BE
FIRED, THERE ARE NOT GOING TO BE
ANY CUTS.
IN FACT, IT WOULD CONTINUE TO
HAVE SOME MODEST INCREASES IN
PAYMENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE
THERE.
THROUGH ATTRITION, THIS CUT
WOULD BE ABOUT $144 BILLION OVER
TEN YEARS.
THE BILL REPEALS THE
AUTHORITY -- THIS IS THE FIFTH
THING -- THE AUTHORITY FOR THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SPEND ANY
TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS ON CLIMATE
CHANGE OR GLOBAL WARMING.
THIS IS KIND OF INTERESTING
BECAUSE VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW
THAT EVEN THOUGH -- THEY
REMEMBER THAT EVERY TIME THERE
HAS BEEN A BILL ON
CAP-AND-TRADE, A COST TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE OF SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN $300 BILLION A YEAR AND
$400 BILLION A YEAR -- SOMETIMES
IN MY HOME STATE OF OKLAHOMA,
PEOPLE'S HEADS START SPINNING
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE LARGE
AMOUNTS.
SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS I TAKE
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO
FILE FEDERAL TAX RETURNS AND I
APPLY THIS TO IT.
THIS WOULD BE ABOUT $3,000 PER
FAMILY IN MY STATE OF OKLAHOMA.
YET, EVEN THE DIRECTOR OF THE
E.P.A. ADMITS THAT IF WE DID
THIS, IT WOULD NOT REDUCE Co2
EMISSIONS WORLDWIDE.
THAT'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE
E.P.A., LISA JACKSON.
AND THAT'S ON THE RECORD.
I APPRECIATE HER HONESTY IN THAT
RESPECT.
SO IF WE DO THIS, RIGHT NOW WHAT
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, THIS
PRESIDENT HAS SPENT
$68.4 BILLION SINCE HE HAS BEEN
PRESIDENT ON ALL THIS GLOBAL
WARMING STUFF.
NOW, THAT'S WITHOUT AUTHORITY
BECAUSE WE HAVE CLEARLY DEFEATED
ALL OF THOSE BILLS.
SO WHAT HE HAS DONE THROUGH
REGULATION IS WHAT HE COULDN'T
DO THROUGH LEGISLATION, BUT
NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT UNTIL NOW.
NOW THEY KNOW ABOUT IT.
ANYWAY, IF WE STOP DOING THAT
OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS, THAT
WOULD SAVE AN ADDITIONAL
$83 BILLION.
AND FINALLY, THE LEGISLATION
INCLUDES COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL
MALPRACTICE, TORT REFORM.
THAT SAME THING THAT WAS PASSED
BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
AND THAT WOULD BE $74 BILLION
OVER TEN YEARS.
ALL TOLD, ALL SAVINGS GENERATED
WOULD BE $2.6 TRILLION.
NOT $1.2 TRILLION.
$2.6 TRILLION.
SO DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU YOU
CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE
BECAUSE CLEARLY YOU CAN GET
THERE FROM HERE.
NOW, WE USED THE REMAINING
AMOUNT TO BEEF UP THE MILITARY
TO GET BACK TO OUR 4%, AND I
BELIEVE IF YOU WERE TO TALK TO
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN, THEY WOULD
SAY YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO
THIS, WHY AREN'T WE DOING IT
NOW?
LET ME MENTION ONE OTHER THING
BEFORE I CONCLUDE.
THAT IS WE HAVE A THING CALLED
THE WARN ACT.
WHAT THAT DOES IS REQUIRE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE -- THE EMPLOYERS
WHO KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF
SCWEEFERTION T HERE IS GOING --
SEQUESTRATION THAT THERE IS
GOING TO BE LAYOFFS, THAT THEY
HAVE TO GIVE PINK SLIPS AT LEAST
60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE TIME THAT
HAPPENS.
UNDER SEQUESTRATION, IF THEY
DON'T ADOPT MY ACT, IF THEY DO
THAT, THOSE PINK SLIPS WOULD
HAVE TO BE OUT THERE BY
NOVEMBER 2.
NOW, THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T WANT
THAT TO HAPPEN.
HE DOESN'T WANT THE OBAMA
SEQUESTRATION TO BE POINTED OUT
AND IDENTIFIED AS WHAT'S CAUSING
THEM TO LOSE THEIR JOBS, SO HE
IS TRYING TO GET COMPANIES NOT
TO COMPLY WITH THIS WARN ACT.
CLEARLY, THE WARN ACT SAYS AN
EMPLOYER SHALL NOT ORDER A PLANT
CLOSING OR MASS LAYOFF UNTIL THE
END OF A 60-DAY PERIOD AFTER THE
EMPLOYER SERVES WRITTEN NOTICE
OF SUCH AN ORDER.
THE WARN ACT STATES -- THIS IS
VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT HERE,
BECAUSE IF THERE ARE COMPANIES
OUT THERE WHO ARE LISTENING TO
THE PRESIDENT WHEN HE IS ASKING
THEM NOT TO ISSUE THE PINK
SLIPS, THIS IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
TO THEM.
IT STATES THAT ANY EMPLOYER WHO
ORDERS A PLANT CLOSING OR A MASS
LAYOFF IN VIOLATION OF SECTION 3
SHALL BE LIABLE TO EACH
AGGRIEVED EMPLOYEE WHO SUFFERS
AN EMPLOYMENT LOSS AS A RESULT
OF SUCH CLOSING OR LAYOFF.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF HE DOESN'T DO
IT, THEN THAT OPENS THE DOORS
FOR ALL THE TRIAL LAWYERS TO
COME IN, AND JUST IMAGINE THE
CASE.
LOCKHEED MARTIN, THEY SAY THEY
ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LET GO SOME
120,000 PEOPLE.
IF THEY HAVE A CLASS ACTION SUIT
AND EACH ONE WHO IS LET OFF
WOULD RECEIVE SOMETHING LIKE
$1,000, THAT WOULD BE
$120 MILLION THAT THAT COMPANY
WOULD HAVE TO PAY.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE A BOARD OF
DIRECTORS OF ANY COMPANY