On the recordNovember 18, 2011
This week marked the passage of an important milestone in American history. But don't just break out the confetti and the fireworks so quickly. According to the Treasury Department, our national debt just passed $15 trillion for the first time in history. Mr. Speaker, here is what $15 trillion looks like. That seems like a lot of money to me. That totals over $48,000 for every man, woman, and child across the fruited plain. Now, how did we get here? Through unchecked, excessive spending by the Federal Government. This addiction to spending somebody else's money has got to stop. We must be bold and cut unnecessary spending. Tough times call for tough actions, and we must even do more. Congress must pass the balanced budget amendment. Force the government to balance its books just like Americans are supposed to do. We keep digging ourselves into the dark abyss of debt. Maybe we should quit digging before we reach Greece or the bottomless pit of bankruptcy. And that's just the way it is. ____________________
