Issue Position: Budget/Fiscal Responsibility

Issue Position

In 2011, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Admiral Mike Mullen said, "I believe the single, biggest threat to our national security is our debt, so I also believe we have every responsibility to help eliminate that threat."

The federal government cannot continue to burden our children and grandchildren with high yearly deficits and insurmountable national debt. Currently, our national debt has surpassed $18 trillion -- to put that number in perspective, the total U.S. economic output in 2014 was $17.7 trillion. That's roughly $56,000 of debt for every man, woman, and child living in the country right now. We owe our children, grandchildren, and future generations a return to fiscal responsibility, and I am committed to reining in federal spending and utilizing taxpayer dollars in a prudent and responsible manner. Congress must take steps to balance the budget and eliminate our debt over the long term, which is why I support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.

Reining in the federal debt is not a partisan issue. A broad majority of Americans are united in consistently supporting a requirement to balance the federal budget. Runaway federal spending creates an unsustainable outlook for our economy and our nation's future. We must rein in government spending through reforms, effective oversight of current programs, and addressing waste.

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