Political Quotes

On the recordJanuary 26, 2010
I rise today to support the Conrad-Gregg amendment. Our economic recovery and our Nation's long-term economic health are at risk. Americans are watching and waiting for Congress and the administration to do the right thing and not accept the status quo. Deficit and debt will rise to an unprecedented level in the coming decades without major changes in our fiscal policies. As of today, our national debt has reached a staggering $12.3 trillion. It has continued to climb at an average of $3.89 billion per day since the fall of 2007. If we do not address this, the Federal debt will go skyrocketing from 53 percent of our gross domestic product at the end of fiscal 2009 to more than 300 percent of GDP in 2050. Since 2001 we have acted as though debts and deficits did not matter. The national debt has nearly doubled since then because of the way we have paid for things such as wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Bush tax schemes. Congresses of the past dealt with these by not paying for them and that has made the recession worse.
Said by
Mark Begich
Democratic · Alaska
Source
govinfo.gov
Jan 26, 2010

Editor's note · Context

Speaker Begich addresses the need for fiscal responsibility and the risks of rising national debt.

Share

More from Mark Begich

Sep 18, 2014

I wasn't planning to speak on the floor. I will speak for a couple of minutes, but I appreciate my colleagues who have just spoken and their conversation, as well as many others who have spoken on the floor. Let me make it very clear. This…

govinfo.gov
Dec 11, 2014

I came down to give my farewell remarks, but before I do, I have to make a comment about Senator Coburn. Senator Coburn is absolutely what many people said about his word. Yesterday was an example of that when he resolved an issue. There…

govinfo.gov
Dec 9, 2014

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on December 9, 2014, at 6 p.m., in room S-216 of the Capitol Building. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

govinfo.gov
Nov 18, 2014

If we do not do this as a national model, you will not be as successful as we need you to be for the veterans of this country.

congress.gov

Other voices in this conversation