Last year’s Congress failed in their most basic governing responsibility by not passing a budget for the first time since the Congressional Budget Act was adopted in 1974, and what we are currently seeing are the real and negative consequences of allowing reckless government spending to go unchecked.
Our national debt has skyrocketed to over $14 trillion, nearly surpassing the size of the entire U.S. economy. And every man, woman, and child’s share of that debt in Central and Southside Virginia now stands at over $45,000.
Our deficit spending has soared to $1.6 trillion, Washington is currently borrowing an average of over $4 billion each and every day, and we are borrowing 40 cents on every dollar we spend.
Not only does this kind of out of control spending threaten to bankrupt our nation and leave our children and grandchildren with a tremendous burden, it adds a level of uncertainty to the marketplace that stalls our economic recovery and hinders job growth.
That is why the House has acted urgently to deliver on the message so clearly sent by Fifth District Virginians last November that we must put a stop Washington’s spending spree.
Nearly a month ago, the House worked diligently overnight to send the Senate a responsible budget proposal that would fund the government for the rest of this fiscal year while cutting spending by over $100 billion. While this was just a first step, it was a first step in the right direction to begin to put our country on a path of fiscal discipline and restraint.
Unfortunately, the Democrat-controlled Senate has completely failed to take any serious action on this issue, remaining content in continuing the current spending status quo. This past week, they opposed the House’s budget proposal and refused to put forth their own spending plan that would make considerable and substantial cuts to the budget given our dire debt crisis.
It is my hope that Congressional Democrats and the Administration will begin to listen to the American people, change course, and join with us in the House as we continue to make the tough choices necessary to get our fiscal house in order to reduce the debt, grow the economy, and create jobs.
With our economic recovery and the future of our country on the line, anything less than serious, bold action is simply unacceptable.
Robert Hurt represents the Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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