Issue Position: Economy and the Budget

Issue Position

One of the most important challenges we face as a nation is making the right kind of pro-growth legal, tax and regulatory reforms that will create good jobs and opportunities for all Americans. For too long, government has stood as an obstacle to business. By removing those obstacles and empowering the private sector to invest, innovate and create jobs, we will have a higher standard of living for our citizens. I will work hard to put policies in place that will build a positive business climate and spur job creation and growth, as we have in North Dakota. That means:

Reducing the tax burden;
Simplifying the tax code;
Freeing the economy from unnecessary regulations;
Lowering energy costs;
Encouraging entrepreneurial investment;
Developing new technologies; and,
Establishing a strong financial position for the country, so that we don't burden future generations with unsustainable debt.

At the same time, a strong business climate will increase revenues to reduce our debt and deficit the right way -- by growing our economy rather than raising taxes. Nevertheless, the fact of the matter is that in addition to growing the economy, we also need to reduce spending. We cannot borrow our way to prosperity. It's time that Congress adopt budgets that require the federal government to live within its means -- just like we do with budgets in our state.

While there is still more work to be done, we have achieved some progress in recent years. I have worked to support measures that will put our nation on a path to a balanced budget, such as the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011. As a result of these efforts, we have reduced the nation's deficit by two-thirds, from a high of $1.4 trillion in 2009 to $483 billion in 2014.

I will continue my work to find real savings to reduce our debt and deficit. I believe that if we work with good will in a bipartisan way, we can do just that while also putting our economy back on track and getting Americans working again.

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