Political Quotes

On the recordMarch 6, 2024
here today, since I have been in the Senate, which has been a little over 5 years, I think I have been the most steadfast voice in terms of, whatever we want to do here, we shouldn't be borrowing it from our kids and our grandkids. Any of you up there listening, it is a sad state of affairs in the sense that, just a little over 5 years ago, we were $18 trillion in debt, borrowing at the tune of about a trillion dollars a year to backfill for all the things we want to do here, and ask you and your kids to pay for it. To me, that is a bad business plan. Sadly, it gets even worse. Over these 5 years, instead of a trillion dollars annually, it is now a trillion dollars every 6 months. For those of you who are good at math, take current interest rates and apply that to $34 trillion--soon to be $35 trillion, if it has not already crossed that threshold. That is a big figure with a lot of zeroes behind it. To put it in perspective, the interest on that alone is going to be about what we spend on defense in the next year or the discretionary side of our budget. How we have ever gotten there, I don't know. We are going to be considering another package tomorrow or Friday that takes the whole process of doing budgets, asking: Do you really need it? Aren't there some places that we could surely get back to where we don't spend more than we take in, because when we don't, we are borrowing every penny of it.…
Said by
Mike Braun
Republican · Indiana

Share

More from Mike Braun

Jun 6, 2026

That would happen if, in fact, both chambers were willing to do it, and at this stage of the game, there’s not been a discussion on it.

indianacapitalchronicle.com
Jul 2, 2026

If you run government efficiently, and you’re getting the right economic development on the revenue side, you get a win-win.

indianacapitalchronicle.com
Jul 8, 2026

I want healthy utilities, and I want dependable generation. … Ratepayers, though, have got to be involved in that equation, not just given lip service.

indianacapitalchronicle.com
Jun 19, 2026

Transparency and affordability drive competition and lower healthcare costs. Indiana Health Prices integrates hospital cash prices, provider-contributed data, and expanded prescription resources in one platform so Hoosiers can compare and…

indianacapitalchronicle.com

Other voices in this conversation