mr. speaker , while some who file bankruptcy have been financially irresponsible , the overwhelming majority of those who file do so as a result of divorce , major illness , or job loss . 
half of those who go into bankruptcy do so because of illness , and most of them had health insurance but still could not pay their bills . 
if the purpose of the legislation is to try to deal with those who abuse credit , we ought to be able to distinguish them from the hard-working americans who unfortunately become ill , those who have an unforeseen loss of a job , or whose spouses desert them after a business failure . 
mr. speaker , in addition to those who get sick or lose their job , this bill will also hurt small business entrepreneurs . 
they go into business and consider a risk-benefit ratio that includes the possibility of making a lot of money , but also includes the possibility of losing everything and ending up in bankruptcy . 
with the passage of this legislation , those entrepreneurs and their families will risk not only losing everything but also being denied a fresh start if the business goes under . 
they will be stripped down to essentials like food and rent for 5 years , and that is average rent for the area , not what they may have been living in . 
finally , we ought to consider the impact on society of increasing the number of people who conclude that they have nothing to lose . 
it is ironic that the last time we debated bankruptcy reform on the floor of the house , a farmer had driven his tractor into the pond near the washington monument , tying up traffic for a long time . 
he was quoted as saying , `` i am broke . 
i am busted . 
i have the rest of my life to stay here. '' people who feel they have nothing to lose can become dangerous to society . 
denying bankruptcy protection to people who need a fresh start will only increase the number of people in our community who feel they have nothing to lose . 
this legislation does not differentiate between those who abuse the system and those who deserve a fresh start . 
this rule does not allow amendments to fix the bill ; and , therefore , the rule should be defeated . 
