Dan Coats: “I appreciate the remarks of the minority leader, and I think he essentially gets to the point all of us, in this first…”

“I appreciate the remarks of the minority leader, and I think he essentially gets to the point all of us, in this first week for the 113th Congress, need to be focused on and need to address. This is our first workweek back after the inauguration festivities of yesterday, and I think it is an appropriate time for the Members of this body to discuss the challenges that lay before us over the next 2 years. The most critical and, in my opinion, the most pressing of these challenges is one we have been dealing with for the past 2 years and is now of even more critical importance, and that is the out-of-control government spending that weakens the health of our economy, threatens the security of our country, and jeopardizes opportunities for future generations. When I arrived here 2 years ago, it was clear the American people were concerned about out-of-control Federal spending. At the beginning of the President's term 4 years ago, the debt limit stood at $10.626 trillion plus. In the 4 years of that term, it has risen to over $16.400 trillion--nearly a $6 trillion increase. It is unprecedented in the history of our country to have such out- of-control spending. It has resulted in our borrowing a very substantial amount of each year's budget, which is not healthy whether you are a family or you are a business or you are a State government or you are the Federal Government. The chickens will come home to roost if we continue to do that.…”