Fiscal Responsibility
It is fiscally reckless and morally wrong to continue to pile up debt on future generations. In the past 7 years, the federal balance sheet has lurched from $5.6 trillion in surplus to more than $6 trillion in deficit. Interest payments on that debt amount to a tax increase for which there is no relief.
At the start of the 110th Congress, pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget enforcement rules were restored to rein in spending. The House has overwhelmingly relied on spending cuts to offset increases in priority programs. Matheson, along with fellow members of the Blue Dog Coalition, has led this effort and is committed to addressing the country’s long-term fiscal challenges. Blue Dogs have also called for greater accountability by government agencies on how they spend taxpayer funds. A good start would be for every agency to produce a clean audit – showing where all past budgeted amounts have been spent – before they can request an increase.