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By Congressman Allen Boyd (D-FL)
As Americans across the nation gather with family and friends to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded of the many things for which we are thankful. America is a nation of liberty, justice and freedom, and we are blessed to live in a nation which stands alone in the world as a beacon of democracy. This is also the time of year when we recognize and appreciate those things which have led to the betterment of our lives, our communities and our country. As a member of Congress, one of my goals is to work for those policies that will provide for the overall betterment of North Florida and the nation as a whole.
One of the ways Congress outlines our country's priorities and values is through our federal government's budget. Unfortunately, many in Congress have lost sight of this purpose with the support of a budget that does not represent the ideals our country holds dear. Last week, Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill that illustrates our broken budget process and how we are neglecting our duty to provide for the betterment of our citizens. Under the guise of fiscal responsibility, this package cuts approximately $50 billion from important government programs while increasing our deficit by about $6 billion. This reconciliation bill makes funding cuts in vital programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans.
While I have been a staunch advocate for fiscal restraint and balancing our government's books, I do not think we should do so on the backs of those that need our help the most. We must ask ourselves-do we want to make it more difficult for our children to receive health insurance? Do we want to make it harder for our students to go to college? Do we want to prevent more middle class families from receiving tax credits they depend on to make ends meet? I believe most Americans would agree that these are steps we do not want to take in the name of fiscal responsibility.
However, it is very apparent that something must be done about our government's worsening financial situation and ballooning national debt. Last month, our national debt eclipsed the $8 trillion mark, and it's our children and grandchildren who will be saddled with this crushing burden. If every single person in America, including babies born today, wrote a check to pay off this astronomical figure, each check would be written to the tune of $27,000.
Our huge national debt comes as no surprise. In the last five years, there has been a 30 percent increase in government spending. Congress needs to create a budget that makes our government smaller and more effective and ends our bad habit of spending what we do not have. Additionally, we must have government leaders who know how to balance our books by looking at both the revenue and spending sides of the equation, not just one or the other. Congress needs to lay all of our options on the table and make the tough choices that will get our fiscal house in order. This reconciliation bill does none of these things.
As a country we have a strong and proud heritage, but we also have a responsibility to our forefathers who passed on these rights and privileges. More importantly, we owe nothing less than that same sense of citizenship and dedication to future generations. Congress cannot continue to irresponsibly manage the future of our children, our grandchildren and our country through the support of a budget that fails to end our practice of deficit spending.
Our forefathers had the energy and foresight to provide our country with the tools to prosper, and it is my hope that Congress will continue this tradition by creating a fiscally sound budget that also provides for the betterment of our nation and its citizens. This holiday season, as we gather around the dinner table with our loved ones, I hope my fellow Floridians will use this opportunity to recognize where our nation stands today and how we can come together to make our country even stronger in the future.
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