On the recordNovember 18, 2011
I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the balanced budget amendment. Since our country was first founded, the issue of debt and government spending has been at the forefront of the minds of our political leaders, our national security advisors, our business owners and citizens alike. It's obvious that our $15 trillion national debt is not a Republican problem, it's not a Democratic problem; it's an American problem. Mr. Speaker, our economy has stumbled. Families are making tough decisions, cutting spending and living within their means. However, one thing that hasn't changed is the way that government spends the people's money. We must work together now to resolve our spending- driven debt crisis because the simple truth is that Washington must stop spending money that it does not have. Our debt crisis is a legitimate threat to our Nation's security and our future. A nation that does not control its debt does not control its destiny. In order to give our children and grandchildren that secure future and economic stability we need a balanced budget. We need this balanced budget amendment because it is a fundamental reform that will absolutely produce results. It's time to pass a balanced budget amendment to get government spending under control.
