Mark Neumann: “That is what this picture really shows. This picture shows the growing debt facing the United States of America. From…”

“That is what this picture really shows. This picture shows the growing debt facing the United States of America. From 1960 to 1980, it did not grow very much. But from 1980, that is where that huge growth rate has been. Where we go to with this discussion of surpluses beyond the Social Security money, that is, even if we set the Social Security money aside, is still a surplus of $150 billion. What it does is put us in a position where we can start dealing with paying back some of this debt. We can start dealing with putting the money back into the Social Security Trust Fund that has been taken out basically over the last 15 years. It is important to note when we look at this debt picture that part of the red that we are seeing in this debt picture is the Social Security Trust Fund money that has been taken out over the last 15 years. So, as we start repaying the Federal debt, we can also put the money back into the Social Security Trust Fund. I guess if I were to look at this surplus personally, I would say we have three major problems facing the United States of America, and my colleagues might join me in this. I think the three problems we have facing America, economically at least, are the debt of $5 rac{1}{2} trillion, and we ought to be making payments on the debt, much like people would make payments on their own home mortgage. Taxes are too high in America. Americans pay $37 out of every $100 they earn in taxes at some form of government level today.”