House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) delivered remarks on H. Con. Res. 71, the House’s budget legislation. Following are Speaker Ryan’s remarks as prepared:
My colleagues, I rise to urge the whole House to support this Republican budget, H. Con. Res. 71. Let me just say a few things.
First, this is a budget that reflects our first principles. Freedom. Free enterprise. A government accountable to the people it serves.
It is a budget that will help grow our economy and it reins in our national debt.
It strengthens our national defense and supports our men and women in uniform.
It eliminates endless, mindless spending and it maximizes Americans’ tax dollars. It reforms Medicaid. It strengthens Medicare.
This is a budget that keeps our responsibilities to our children and our grandchildren.
Remember, we have a responsibility here. Each and every generation. Each and every member: Leave the country better off so your kids and your grandkids can prosper.
That American legacy is seriously at risk because of our growing, deteriorating debt situation, because our debt crisis. This budget tackles that.
And there is one more thing this budget does that is so important: it paves the way for historic tax reform. It unlocks the reconciliation process.
We need to pass this budget so that we can deliver real relief for middle income families across this country.
We need to pass this budget for the people living paycheck to paycheck in America, who are trying to juggle it all, looking to get out from under this hopelessly broken tax code.
We haven’t reformed this tax system since 1986. We need to pass this budget so we can help bring more jobs, fairer taxes, and bigger paychecks for people across this country.
The time for this is now. The opportunity is right in front of us.
I want to especially commend Chairman Black for her commitment to this vision. I want especially commend the members of the Budget Committee for their steadfast commitment to this vision.
We would not be in position to pass this budget today without her tireless leadership and the leadership of her members of the committee.
It is so encouraging that the Senate has passed their budget out of committee. They are on the track too. That means we look forward to working with the Senate to take the next step.
We have an opportunity to make right by our fellow countrymen. We have an opportunity to make right by the people we represent.
We have an opportunity to actually restore prosperity in this country. We haven’t seen the kind of economic potential in this country in at least a decade. We can fix that this year.
We know that debt crisis is coming. We know if we do nothing, the next generation will be worse off. So we can stop that, and fix this, and make them better off.
That’s what this budget paves the way for. And that is why I urge all of my colleagues to support this budget. I thank the Chair for her steadfast support. I thank the members for getting us to where we are today.
And I really look forward to the day when we can look at this moment as when we got the country on the right track.
