Marlin Stutzman: “speaking of spending, outside of wasteful spending on international aid and public media, Congress has another problem…”

“speaking of spending, outside of wasteful spending on international aid and public media, Congress has another problem contributing to the national debt: emergency spending. Over one-third of our current national debt, about $12 trillion, can be attributed to emergency spending. This is an addiction that needs to be remedied. Shockingly, money used on emergency spending is rarely paid back and most is never used for actual emergencies. For example, emergency spending during the COVID-19 pandemic spent $70 million on tourism marketing campaigns in Puerto Rico and another $6 million to replace irrigation systems at two golf courses. Other emergency spending bills have dished out $140 million for infrastructure improvements for Gulf Coast shipyards and $9.7 million for an assistance program to compensate eligible orchard tree losses. We cannot continue to use emergency spending to fill gaps in funding that weren't properly appropriated to begin with. This spending not only contributes to the national debt but furthers a spiral of spending for the next fiscal year. I am proud to have introduced my bill, the Emergency Spending Accountability Act, to correct this gross misuse of emergency spending. My bill will ensure that every taxpayer dollar spent on emergency spending is fully paid back and accounted for over the following 5 years once the bill passes.”