U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) testified before the House Budget Committee Wednesday, saying the American people clearly are leading the way in demanding Congress get its spending and the mounting federal debt under control.
"This is a truly unique moment where people are rising up and they are demanding of the Congress that we get the situation under control," Inglis said.
The American people are realizing that the country's fiscal situation can follow that of Greece or Argentina -- countries in which debt has caused hyperinflation or defaults.
"We need to seize the moment and put forth some bold plans," Inglis said. "I am excited to be cosponsor of Representative Ryan's Roadmap for America's Future, because it is a very bold plan."
The Roadmap for America's Future (H.R. 4529) sponsored by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) would overhaul budget processes, freeze discretionary spending, dramatically change entitlement spending, and overhaul the tax code to be flatter with far fewer exemptions in order to get the federal budget to balance.
Inglis said the overwhelming concern about federal spending is causing the "general interest" of the American people about stopping deficit spending to be far more important than any specific interest in funding or earmarks for particular programs.
"When all tax receipts are only sufficient to cover mandatory programs of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, interest on the debt, and everything else will be borrowing -- that is a significant crisis requiring action," he said.
Inglis has co-sponsored or proposed a host of measures aimed at balancing the budget and controlling spending.
They include:
1. H.R. 4529 Roadmap for America's Future Act of 2010
* Senate version S.1240 sponsored by Sen. Jim DeMint.
2. H.J.RES.1 Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States
* Senate version S.J.RES.27 sponsored by Sen. Jim DeMint
3. H.R. 393 Sunset Commission
4. H.R. 1557 the SAFE Commission Act
5. Hensarling-Pence-Campbell Spending Limit Amendment to the Constitution