Majority Leader Steny Hoyer

“After years of historic deficits, this new Congress will commit itself to a higher standard: pay as you go, no new deficit spending. Our new America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not burden them with mountains of debt.” (http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/Jan07/FloorSpeech.html)

Ways & Means Chairman Charlie Rangel

 “It's not good for me to have pay-go, but it's good for the country.  At this point, nobody . . . has convinced me that there should be exemptions from pay-go.”

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/05/AR2007010500681.html)

Democrat Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel

 “I worked for an administration that had pay-as-you-go rules. It created discipline not just for Republicans, not just for Democrats. For the government. For the American people's money.”

(http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=110-h20070105-13&person=400360)

BUT THAT WAS THEN 

After Democrat Leadership had to pull the D.C. voting bill from the floor last month rather than allow their membership to vote on a Republican measure that would have passed with bi-partisan support, they spent a month trying to devise a scheme to alter the constitutionally-questionable D.C. voting bill.  Then they came up with it…..

DEMS WILL WAIVE PAYGO!!! 

The new D.C. voting bill would increase mandatory spending by about $200,000 in FY2008 and by about $2.5 million over the FY2008-FY2017 period (for the salary and operating expenses for the new at-large representative).  Thus, the Democrat bill violates PAYGO (House Rule XXI, Section 10 - since it would increase the deficit without offset during the periods stated in House Rule XXI). 

IGNORE THE RULES, SILENCE DISSENTERS

Normally, the rules of the House would require that the bill be subject to a PAYGO point of order on the House floor.  However, the Democrats are eliminating the possibility for Members of Congress to ask why they are waiving PAYGO in order to pass this bill.  (The rule for the D.C. voting bill’s consideration – H.Res. 317 – waived the PAYGO point of order).

The new Democrat position on PAYGO:
Good for America unless it’s bad for Democrats.