Sam Brownback: “I rise today to speak on two bills that I have introduced aimed at limiting the size of Government and restricting its…”

“I rise today to speak on two bills that I have introduced aimed at limiting the size of Government and restricting its growth. One reduces the Federal Government by restricting the ability of Congress to spend money, and the other limits Government by sunsetting the Internal Revenue Code. First, I will discuss the Economic Growth and Debt Burden Reduction Act. Although I have only been in Congress a short time, I have reached an inescapable conclusion, and that is that Congress is much better at exercising fiscal recklessness than fiscal restraint. Accordingly, I have authored legislation that specifically restricts Congress' ability to embark on spending sprees by making it illegal to use excess Government revenues for anything other than debt reduction or tax cuts. Congress has historically been wholly unable to exercise fiscal restraints when given resources in excess of the current demands of the Government. I believe we need to limit the size of the Government, and this bill forces it to do so. Mr. President, we are going to soon approach a historic opportunity. For the first time since 1969 we are going to balance the budget.”