On the recordDecember 14, 2011
Washington politicians do not live by the same rules that virtually all families and small businesses play by. It is your responsibility to balance your budget, spend no more than what is in your bank account, and have a plan to manage common expenses such as student, home, and car loans. But in Washington, money is routinely borrowed from Peter to pay Paul, or in America's case, money is borrowed from China and others to pay for more government than we could ever afford. As a result, politicians have dug us into a hole of $15 trillion in debt, with no end in sight. Now more than ever, we need a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In Florida's State government, we worked under a balanced budget amendment, and every year we worked tirelessly, had contentious debates, and made very tough choices to pass a balanced budget year after year. That responsibility and accountability is not unique to Florida, as practically every other State also works under a balanced budget amendment. We need to bring this same kind of fiscal restraint to Washington. And unless we enshrine strong balanced budget principles in our Constitution, Washington politicians will never stop. That is why it is critically important that the Senate approve a strong balanced budget amendment. The national debt is now over $15 trillion. When I was sworn into office about a year ago, the debt was just over $14 trillion.…
