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SCHOLARSHIPS FOR KIDS HERE IN
D.C. WAS, IN FACT, RESTORED INTO
LAW.
SO THE PRESIDENT'S POSITION THAT
LISTEN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SIT
DOWN AND TALK TO YOU UNTIL YOU
SURRENDER IS JUST NOT
SUSTAINABLE.
IT'S NOT OUR SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEBT LIMIT,
I AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT.
WE SHOULD PAY OUR BILLS.
I DIDN'T COME HERE TO SHUT DOWN
THE GOVERNMENT.
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T COME HERE TO
DEFAULT ON OUR DEBT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEBT
LIMIT, AGAIN, OVER THE LAST 40
YEARS, 27 TIMES THE DEBT LIMIT
HAS BEEN USED TO CARRY
SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHANGES THAT
WOULD, IN FACT, REDUCE SPENDING
AND PUT US ON A SANER FISCAL
PATH.
PRESIDENT REAGAN SAT DOWN WITH
TIP O'NEILL IN THE 1980s.
PRESIDENT BUSH IN 1990 WENT OUT
TO ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE AND
GOT INTO A LONG DEBATE AND
NEGOTIATION WITH DEMOCRATS HERE
IN CONGRESS.
BILL CLINTON WENT THROUGH THIS
THREE TIMES IN THE 1990s.
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND I SAT DOWN
IN 2011 AND HAD A SERIOUS
NEGOTIATION.
AND WHILE THE PRESIDENT TODAY
SUGGESTED THAT I WALKED AWAY
FROM THE DEAL, I WOULD HAVE TO
REMIND HIM THAT I WAS IN THE
OVAL OFFICE ALONG WITH THE
MAJORITY LEADER, ERIC CANTOR,
WHEN WE IN FACT HAD AN AGREEMENT
THAT TWO DAYS LATER, THE
PRESIDENT WALKED AWAY FROM.
BUT THERE WAS, IN FACT, ANOTHER
NEGOTIATION IN 2011 THAT
RESULTED IN REALLY THE LARGEST
DEFICIT REDUCTION BILL THAT
WE'VE SEEN HERE IN THE LAST 30
YEARS.
BUT IN 2010, WHEN DEMOCRATS
CONTROLLED THE CONGRESS AND
PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS IN THE WHITE
HOUSE, WHAT HAPPENED WAS A GROUP
OF MODERATE DEMOCRATS IN THE
HOUSE WOULDN'T AGREE TO RAISE
THE DEBT LIMIT WITHOUT A
NEGOTIATION.
SO THERE WAS A NEGOTIATION THEN
AMONGST DEMOCRATS OVER RAISING
THE DEBT CEILING.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS
THERE IS GOING TO BE A
NEGOTIATION HERE.
WE CAN'T RAISE THE DEBT CEILING
WITHOUT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT
WHAT'S DRIVING US TO BORROW MORE
MONEY AND TO LIVE BEYOND OUR
MEANS.
THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE
TO SPEND MONEY THAT WE DON'T
HAVE AND GIVE THE BILL TO OUR
KIDS AND OUR GRANDKIDS WOULD BE
WRONG.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME AND FRANKLY,
IT'S NOT ABOUT REPUBLICANS.
THIS IS ABOUT SAVING THE FUTURE
FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR GRANDKIDS
AND THE ONLY WAY THIS IS GOING
TO HAPPEN IS TO IN FACT HAVE A
CONVERSATION.
SO IT'S TIME TO HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION.
NOT NEXT WEEK, NOT NEXT MONTH.
THE CONVERSATION OUGHT TO START
TODAY.