Rep. Kelly Calls for Passage of Debt Accountability Bill to Restore Fiscal Responsibility

Press Release

U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) -- a member of the House Ways and Means Committee -- delivered remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives today in support of the Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3442), of which he is a co-sponsor. The legislation establishes a new debt limit framework that enhances accountability, reduces disruptive risk, and ensures integrated debt reduction solutions. It requires the Secretary of the Treasury to appear before Congress prior to each potential debt limit increase and provide testimony and detailed reports on: the national debt and its key drivers; explicit short, medium, and long-term debt reduction proposals; and progress on debt reduction. The House is expected to consider the bill tomorrow.

"Responsibility is not a political issue. It is a moral issue. Irresponsibility is the problem that we have, and I wish we could go away from making political talking points and into making solid policy positions."

"Once you have authority and once you have responsibility, you've got to be accountable. Not just to that person in the mirror, but in my case, to 705,687 people that I represent in Western Pennsylvania. They're not all Republicans; they're not all Democrats; they're not all libertarians; they're not all independents. But they are all hardworking American taxpayers."

"I don't care who's in the White House. I care about sound, fundamental fiscal policy that protects this country going forward. Not only those that are with us right now but those who came before us and those who are going to come after us. We are putting ourselves in a position that is totally going to be unrecoverable."

"Debt will eliminate you. I don't care if it's a person. I don't care if it's a business. I don't care if it's a state or a country. We are quickly approaching the point of no return, and to sit here and try to make it a political battle instead of survival for the United States of America is totally irresponsible and, more importantly, it is immoral."

"This is not a political battle. This is a fight for the future of our country. This is a fight for sustainability in the greatest country the world has ever known, and I do not think that any of us should ever turn our back on our responsibility because it just wasn't politically right for them."

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