Connie Mack

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 589 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, today the House of Representatives is taking action to protect the most vulnerable children in our nation's capital. H.R. 3803, the ``District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,'' would limit the District's extreme policy of allowing abortion for any reason, at any time, up until the moment of birth. Based on substantial research showing that a child has the capacity to feel pain starting at 20 weeks of development, we cannot in good conscience allow the District's policy of permitting late-term abortions to stand. Although Congress has repeatedly prohibited the use of taxpayer money for abortions in the capital, the District currently has one of the most far-reaching abortion policies in the nation, permitting abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

H.R. 3803 would ban abortions of pain-capable unborn children except to save the life of the mother. Under the Constitution, Congress and the President have ultimate responsibility for the governance of the capital, as Article I, Section 8, states that ``Congress shall . . . exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District.'' As a member of Congress who believes in the sanctity of human life, I am a strong supporter and co-sponsor of this important legislation. I deeply regret that I must miss the vote on final passage, and would have proudly voted yes.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to stop the President from increasing Washington's borrowing authority once again. How many times do we have to say ``Enough is enough'' before President Obama and his liberal allies in Congress get the message?

Do we have to be in a debt crisis like Europe's before we make the necessary spending cuts? Does our country's credit rating have to be downgraded further? Do we have to be pushed into a corner with no other option but to eliminate programs altogether before we do what's right for America's economic well-being? The answer is clearly ``no.'' We can act now to avoid more painful decisions down the road. America's freedom, security, and prosperity depend on our courage and what we do now to restore fiscal discipline.

America can't afford to let this President continue to borrow and spend on our nation's credit card to advance his failed liberal policies. We need to adopt this resolution. And we need to enact the Penny Plan--legislation I introduced to cut spending by just one penny out of every federal dollar spent and to balance our nation's budget.

Madam Speaker, if families and businesses throughout the United States have to make the tough decisions and cut their budgets so their families and businesses won't be buried in debt, why can't the government do the same for the American people? After all, tax dollars don't belong to the government--they belong to the people who work hard to pay their bills and make their payrolls. We, as elected officials, must be responsible stewards of the people's money. We have been entrusted by those who have put us here.

If we allow Washington to continue its reckless spending habits, we will continue to lose the people's trust--and justifiably so. This is the ``People's House.'' If we don't stand for the American people, who do we stand for? Deficit spending must stop. Enough is enough. Let's restore the America we know and love by getting--and keeping--our fiscal house in order.

Madam Speaker, I am encouraged by every effort to restrain federal spending, and I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.