Issue Position: Controlling Our National Budget and Debt

Issue Position

In 2017, our national debt sits at nearly $20 trillion, about $61,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States. Debt-to-GDP (the value of what we produce) is about 100%. That means to pay this debt off, we would have to stop every federal government operation, paycheck, and any other spending for a full year. Imagine a household trying to do that! And yet, we're borrowing another $600 billion just to keep the government running. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) by 2027 the U.S. will be borrowing an estimated $1.5 trillion per year to keep the government running. This is not sustainable; and it is unfair to our children and grandchildren to pass along this debt.

I support policies that reduce federal spending and borrowing. I will use my legislative and business experience to build coalitions in the Congress and my business executive experience to negotiate with the White House to lower federal debt so that we don't saddle our children and grandchildren with this financial burden. I will remove redundant and wasteful federal programs, agencies, and departments, working closely with my colleagues in the Idaho State Legislature on the targeting, prioritization, and reduction of these federal burdens.

Currently, about 36% of Idaho's state budget is funded with federal dollars. We have become a subsidiary of the federal government, a funding source that is both broke and broken given its unsustainable borrowing. Our state's dependence on a Washington, D.C. must be reduced. That means reducing costly federal mandates and taxes that soak up scarce state resources in compliance. That is the first step we can take to empower Idahoans to provide them with more opportunities to thrive and prosper.

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