I believe that Congress has a responsibility to the American people to rein in wasteful and excessive spending. Currently, the national debt is more than $19 trillion. To put that in perspective, that is more than $59,000 per citizen. High debt means a future of high interest, high inflation, and low jobs. We cannot sustain this path.
My generation elected the officials who made the decisions to excessively spend and borrow. My generation received whatever benefits were had from all the spending. Therefore, my generation of political leaders has an obligation to solve the nation’s debt problem and not simply pass the burden onto our children and grandchildren.
Actions
Supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, which would control spending by prohibiting the federal government from spending more than it receives in revenues. Virginia and many other states already operate under similar guidelines.
Co-sponsored H. J. Res. 1 and H. J. Res. 2, which would require that Congress not spend more than it receives in revenues, require the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress, and require a 3/5 majority vote to increase the national debt limit.
Original co-sponsored of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 (H.R. 24), which would direct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a complete audit of the Fed within one year of the bill becoming law.
Co-sponsor of the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2015 (H.R.1610), which changes the process for the President's budget submission, congressional budget resolutions, appropriations bills, and government strategic and performance plans from the current annual process to a biennial process.
Original co-sponsor of H.R. 3660 to amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 respecting the scoring of preventive health savings, which would require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to determine if legislation would reduce spending outside of the 10-year budget window through the use of preventive health and preventive health services.
Original co-sponsor of the Agency Accountability Act (H.R. 5499), which would direct all fines, fees, penalties, and other unappropriated proceeds to the Treasury, making them subject to the appropriations process. This would legislation would reinstate Congress’s proper oversight and funding role by bringing these funds under Congressional appropriation.
I am leading an effort to change the rules of the House of Representatives to give Members of the House the ability to offer amendments on the floor to cut the amount of money an agency could receive, the number of employees of the U.S. government or its agencies could have, and the amount of money that could be paid to an employee of the U.S. government. It is impossible to get serious about cutting spending and setting priorities in Washington when our own rules prevent us from doing so.
