mr. speaker , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. speaker , i am prepared to close , and we have kicked off quite a debate here this morning . 
we know that it is going to be a long day as we approach the debate over the labor , health and human services appropriations bill , the ongoing debate over the continuing resolution to fund our government , and later today the deficit reduction package , which i dare say will not take food from any child in america 's mouth , despite the overheated rhetoric of the gentleman from oregon , respectfully the gentleman from florida and a number of others on that side of the aisle who it would appear from their media statements discuss in the salons and parlors of the beltway whether republicans hate children or old people more . 
i dare say that as we bring up this deficit reduction act , which finally for the first time since 1997 puts us back on a serious track to finding savings not just in the discretionary side of our spending but in the mandatory side which makes up over half of federal spending today and which slows the rate of growth in government , again , one of those washington , d.c.-style cuts , where budgets grow 7 percent instead of 7.3 percent or they grow 6 percent instead of 6.3 percent , and we find $ 50 billion worth of savings in a $ 2.5 trillion per year budget . 
so $ 50 billion in savings over 5 years in what would then be a $ 14 trillion pot . 
i think that almost any american would say i think that my budget growing 7 percent instead of 7.3 percent is acceptable , and i dare say to my friend from florida , who represents , among other counties , palm beach county , florida , the home of lake worth avenue among other places . 
i think there are a number of counties that would gladly trade their tax base for his , and i would also say that i believe that somewhere in palm beach county there is an afterschool program of some shape or form . 
there must be an afterschool program somewhere in all of palm beach county , florida . 
i believe that as we move through this debate it is important for us to be responsible in our rhetoric and keep our eyes on the ball , which is the looming fiscal crisis that is out there if congress does not have the courage to get its arms around mandatory spending , which is consuming federal spending , making up over 50 percent of it today and two-thirds of federal spending . 
