“By placing a poster outside of my Washington office that calls attention to our growing national debt, I am hopeful these staggering figures will attract the attention of  my colleagues and those visiting Capitol Hill, and will cause them to take action,” said Ross. “The greater our country goes into debt, the fewer opportunities we’ll have to cut taxes for working families and fund programs important to our children and seniors.  This is a tragic gift to pass down to our children and grandchildren, and I want the hundreds of people who walk by my office on a daily basis to understand the urgency of this problem.” 

Several other members of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Coalition joined Ross in displaying debt posters in front of their offices.  By next week, more than two dozen Coalition members are expected to participate. 

Earlier this year, the Blue Dogs released a 12-Step Reform Plan to get America’s fiscal house in order.

1)      Require a balanced Budget

2)      Don’t let Congress buy on credit – Restore PAYGO rules

3)      Put a lid on spending

4)      Require federal agencies to put their fiscal houses in order

5)      Make Congress tell taxpayers how much they’re spending

6)      Set aside a rainy-day fund

7)      Don’t hide votes to raise the debt limit

8)      Justify spending for pet projects

9)      Ensure that Congress reads the bills it’s voting on by ensuring members have three days to read a bill before being required to vote on it

10)  Require honest cost estimates for every bill that Congress votes on

11)  Make sure new bills fit the budget

12)  Make Congress do a better job keeping tabs on government programs

“The Blue Dog "12-point Budget Plan" sets forth sensible objectives such as supporting a constitutional amendment that would require a balanced budget every year, establishing "paygo" standards -- meaning any new spending must be paid for by cuts in other programs or by new revenues -- and justifying spending for pet projects,” said Ross. “Our budget plan has received mounds of praise from many non-partisan watchdog groups across the country, and I can only hope this publicity will eventually have an impact on the way the majority party chooses to address our nation's budget needs. 

“Not only am I a fiscally-conservative Member of Congress, but I’m also a small business owner and a father who is personally concerned about the impact our mounting debt will have on the future of our nation; I don’t want my children to bear the burden of our irresponsible decisions today. I am not only committed to reducing our debt, but am actively engaged on the policies surrounding this issue. We absolutely must restore fiscal discipline and common sense to our nation’s government and its budget.”