As our nation’s deficit soars to record heights, Americans’ confidence in the federal government is waning. This is no coincidence. American taxpayers should be able to trust the federal government to spend their money wisely and invest in their future. Instead of tackling our economic problems head on and instituting job-creating policies that restore certainty and predictability, Washington continues to throw money at our problems. Continued levels of high unemployment have shown that this pattern of egregious spending and expanded government have failed and are worsening our current crisis. Our economy is suffering, and now we have record-level debt on top of it.
Washington must learn to live within its means, and this starts with passing an annual budget to fund the federal government. It has been over 1,000 days since Senate Democrats passed a budget, and without one we have no blueprint for our nation’s spending priorities.
In addition, Congress needs to restore honesty and accountability in government spending. Last fall, I cosponsored the Honest Budget Act which would put an end to budget gimmicks that make it easier for Washington to spend money it does not have. I was encouraged that my colleagues in the House of Representatives introduced their version of this bill today. We owe it to our nation’s taxpayers to govern responsibly and be transparent about how their hard earned dollars are being spent, and this legislation to eliminate dishonesty in the budget process is a step in the right direction.