Congressman Lamar Smith 21st district of Texas

When then Senator Obama was running for president, he pledged to cut the deficit in half, yet the national debt has more than doubled since he took office. On February 13, 2012, President Obama released his FY2013 budget request. His $3.8 trillion budget proposal for FY2013 marks the fourth straight year of a projected deficit over $1 trillion. It increases spending, taxes, and the deficit. On Wednesday, March 28, 2012, the House unanimously rejected President Obama's FY2013 budget proposal by a vote of 414-0.

Each year, Congress is responsible for setting the federal budget and appropriating funds for all government functions. It has been nearly three years since the Senate has passed a federal budget. The last time the Senate passed a budget was on April 29, 2009, when the total national debt was $11.15 trillion. Today, the total national debt is $15.2 trillion.

Debt of this level will stifle our economic growth. The solution for reviving our economy is straightforward: cut job-destroying government spending to allow employers to create jobs.

For more information on the House Republicans' Budget Resolution, the Path to Prosperity: A Blueprint for American Renewal, click here.

Smith Statement on Passage of Path to Prosperity Budget