Porter Goss: “everyone knows that our national debt is spiraling out of control, passing the $5 trillion mark earlier this year. To…”

“everyone knows that our national debt is spiraling out of control, passing the $5 trillion mark earlier this year. To put this incredible number in some kind of perspective, the Washington Times last week gave a particularly timely analogy. It noted, just in time for the St. Patrick's Day weekend, that just the one day's increase that day in the national debt, which was around $8 billion, would be enough money to purchase 8 pints of beer at $3.75 each for every citizen of the United States and Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. That would be quite a celebration, a pretty big party. Of course, the bill for that party is going to be paid for by the children who are not old enough to drink beer yet, because we are going to have to send the bill to them. What I am saying is if we do not address this addiction to debt spending, it is our children and our grandchildren who are going to be stuck with the budgetary hangover. Most know that the first step to recovery from any kind of an addiction is to admit to the problem. The St. Patrick's Day free beer scenario underscores the need for the Federal Government to recognize and treat its addiction to deficit spending. For that reason, I rise again today to offer my annual list of specific discretionary spending cuts which, if enacted into law, could save the American taxpayer more than $300 billion over the next 5 years.”