Spending and Debt
As a new Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I strongly support the call of the American people to reduce government spending and bring our national debt under control. As I have traveled around Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District, people have consistently told me that restoring fiscal responsibility is their number one priority, and that they sent me to Washington to force the government to live within its means.
Regrettably, years of reckless spending in Washington have compromised our ability to fund every priority at the level needed. Rather than put our nation on a financially sustainable path that will help us grow in the future, we find ourselves with a $17 trillion national debt that grows by an alarming $2 billion each day. This is a burden to ourselves, and a greater burden to our children and grandchildren. Future generations will have to work longer and harder to receive less as they shoulder the burden of debt that our federal government is now creating.
I believe that establishing responsible budget will ultimately help grow our economy and help create good, sustainable jobs for the American people. This year, I voted to restore fiscal responsibility in this country with my support of the House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s Budget. This budget balances our nation’s finances in 10 years and stops spending money we do not have. It forces the government to live within its means, and moves us closer to pro-growth tax reform without raising taxes – because families and small businesses should be able to keep more of their hard-earned income instead of having it wasted by Washington bureaucrats.
While many in Washington believe that raising taxes is always the answer, I believe that we must instead focus on living within a budget and setting our funding priorities. That is why I have already supported a number of legislative initiatives that will help control government spending and get our fiscal house in order.
- I have cosponsored two balanced budget amendments to limit spending, rollback the size of government, and require congressional approval to raise taxes or the debt ceiling.
- I have supported No Budget, No Pay legislation that requires Members of Congress to fulfill their annual duty of approving a budget resolution or go without their salaries.
- I have cosponsored the H.R. 1999, the Savings, Accountability, Value, and Efficiency (SAVE) Act. This legislation, a product of the bipartisan United Solutions Caucus on which I serve, requires a number of agencies to implement Government Accountability Office recommendations to eliminate duplicative and wasteful programs, saving up to $200 billion in taxpayer dollars over a decade.
More on Spending and Debt
On September 17, 2014, the National Federation of Independent Business, an advocacy association which gives small-business owners on Main Street a voice in public policy-making, announced that they have named Congressman Barr a "Guardian of Small Business" for his outstanding voting record on behalf of America’s small-business owners in the 113th Congress.
Congressman Andy Barr made the following statement upon being recognized:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Andy Barr today voted in favor of H. Con. Res. 96, Establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2015 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2016 through 2024, which passed the House by 219-205.
“It’s time for Congress to get serious about reducing spending. Our conversation begins with a declaration that Washington has a spending problem and that our constituents sent us here to address that problem.
On Wednesday, April 9, 2014, Congressman Andy Barr had the opportunity to testify before the House Armed Services Committee in support of Kentucky's Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve components, as well as Kentucky veterans to help ensure they receive the equipment and support they deserve.
Washington - Congressman Andy Barr released the following statement regarding H.R. 2804, the Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act, which passed the House of Representatives today:
On Tuesday, February 11th, the new Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen, appeared before the Financial Services Committee to provide testimony about the Fed's policies and to answer questions from Members about the state of the economy.
Congressman Barr's questions to Chair Yellen focused on improving the employment situation in our country, the impact of Obamacare on the size of the labor force, and the long-term consequences and sustainability of our national debt.
WASHINGTON - Congressman Barr released the following statement on the debt limit:
"Today, I voted against legislation to increase the debt limit because it would have been unfair to young people and the next generation to raise the debt ceiling without real reforms that restrain spending and put our nation back on a path to a balanced budget.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Andy Barr released the following statement following his support of an Amendment to S. 25, which passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 326-90-1:
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Barr introduced H.R. 4021, the Debt Limit Reform and Congressional Pay for Performance Act of 2014, which creates a new formula for establishing the debt ceiling based on the size of the economy and a declining schedule of spending targets.
Congressman Andy Barr spoke on the House Floor about the Environmental Protection Agency's strangling overregulation of our nation’s economy. As he pointed out, "The coal industry in my region in central and eastern Kentucky could be the poster child of this regulatory onslaught. According to the Commonwealth's recently released figures, more than 7,000 coal miners in the Appalachian coalfields have received pink slips since 2009; 2,232 of those jobs were lost last year alone, thanks in large part to the overreach of the EPA."
WASHINGTON - Congressman Andy Barr released the following statement regarding passage of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm bill):
“This is an important victory for Kentucky’s farmers,” said Congressman Barr. “Today’s bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a five-year farm bill will provide much needed certainty and stability for producers while reducing spending authority and eliminating wasteful direct payments.