The National Debt, Budget & Spending

Question 1

Main Position

Answer 1

Government spending should be kept low, our debt must be eliminated, and deficit spending eliminated. The debt ceiling should be a tool to rein in spending, not a political line in the sand.

From Conservative Review

Question 2

We do not have a Tax Problem. , We have a Spending Problem.

Answer 2

For several years now, Washington has collected record taxes, topping $3 trillion in revenue. Washington does not have a tax problem; it has a spending addiction that needs immediate attention.

Question 3

Return to the Standard Budget Process of Regular Orders.

Answer 3

To start, Congress must return to the normal budget process where committees work on individual appropriations bills and Congress exerts its power to control how money is spent.

Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, effectively allowing Congress to deny or fund any government program, priority, or law. Regular order allows representatives to best exert control over spending priorities. They also eliminate large omnibus bills; the kind of thousand page bills that are driven through Congress at the 11th hour and perpetuate our financial woes.

Question 4

Entitlement Reforms

Answer 4

Congress must pass real reforms to entitlement and welfare programs that make up a third of our budget.

Question 5

Cut Agency Spending and make them justify expenses.

Answer 5

Congress should also pass immediate cuts to agencies across the board and force executive agencies to live within a set budget just like every citizen. They should start sun setting programs and agencies and require them to be reauthorized in order to continue operating.

Question 6

Constitutional Amendment on Spending

Answer 6

Ultimately, the surest and most effective way to balance the budget is to pass a Constitutional amendment pegging the growth of government spending to a percentage of the GDP, a goal promoted by Ronald Reagan at the end of his presidency.