Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,624,347,610,476.87. We've added $4,997,470,561,563.79 to our debt in just over 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to restore respect for the remains of our fallen heroes by mandating a uniformed chain of custody for overseas military casualties.

Since the beginning of combat operations in Afghanistan, there have been several instances of gross misconduct in the treatment of the remains of our fallen heroes. Body parts have been lost, the cremated remains of 274 servicemembers were dumped in a landfill, and in one incident a Marine was dismembered in order to fit inside his uniform. In each of these unfortunate examples, non-uniformed personnel were intimately involved in the callous behavior. To ensure the reverent care of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, I am sponsoring a bill that mandates a uniformed member of the armed services be accountable for the remains of overseas casualties from the battlefield until the remains are accepted by the member's next of kin.

Civilian personnel involved in the chain of custody are not subject to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, UCMJ, and the Department of Justice has not seen fit to prosecute a single case of misconduct. A uniformed chain of custody law would clearly define accountability for the remains as a military honor and duty, and any violations of this responsibility will be punishable under UCMJ.

The men and women who serve as our nation's Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have few assurances when they deploy to combat to defend our nation. One of the few assurances they do have is that if they make the ultimate sacrifice and lay down their lives in the line of duty, then their remains will be treated with the utmost dignity and respect of a grateful nation. I believe this is not only a legal requirement, but also our moral obligation. My legislation will reassure servicemembers and their families that our nation honors their service in life and in death.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,623,285,528,454.41. We've added $4,996,408,479,541.33 to our debt in just over 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,628,266,498,708.04. We've added $5,001,389,449,794.96 to our debt in just over 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,661,574,232,598.82. We've added $5,034,697,183,685.74 to our debt in just over 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Madam Speaker, if managed wisely, America's national forests can provide a safe wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and thousands of jobs in the timber industry.

Unfortunately, a lack of effective forest management in the United States has led to poor forest health. This can and does cause catastrophic forest fires.

Recently, in Colorado, the North Fork fire destroyed 27 homes and killed 3 homeowners. The fire was caused by a prescribed burn designed to prevent a catastrophic forest fire. Clearly, this incident exemplifies the need for alternative forest management tools, such as increased timber harvesting, to reduce the risk of wildfires in the future.

Through prudent forest management and the ability to access and harvest our timber resources, these communities can support jobs while fostering healthy forests, safeguarding the natural beauty of Colorado and the Nation, and protecting against dangerous wildfires.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,661,574,232,598.82. We've added $5,034,697483,685.74 to our debt in just over 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,654,638,525,397.64. We have added over 5 trillion dollars to our debt in just over 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President

Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,615,726,037,322.66. We've added $4,988,848,988,409.58 to our debt in 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,580,211,803,539.46. We've added $4,953,334,754,626.38 to our debt in 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,589,407,415,161.70. We've added $4,962,530,366,248.62 to our debt in 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,586,074,570,040.79. We've added $4,959,197,521,227.71 to our debt in 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,585,576,040,333.70. We've added $4,958,698,991,420.62 to our debt in 3 years. This is debt our Nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on January 20, 2009, the day President Obama took office, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

Today, it is $15,574,428,564,198.34. We've added $4,947,551,515,285.26 to our debt in 3 years. This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, when George W. Bush was inaugurated, the national debt was $5,727,776,738,304.64. When Barack Obama was inaugurated, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08. This was a $4,899,100,310,608.44 increase in 8 years. Today, the debt is $15,583,383,846,149.34, which means that President Obama has raised the debt more in just over 3 years than President Bush did in 8 years.

This is debt our nation, our economy, and our children could have avoided with a balanced budget amendment.