Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Republican House budget, A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America.
Mr. Chairman, as we have seen over the last several years, the tax-and-spend policies of this President have made our economy very sluggish. It is a very slow recovery. Our wages are stagnant. Our national debt has increased to more than $18 trillion. This is a 70 percent increase since President Obama took office. And if the President had his way, we would actually add another $8.5 trillion of debt over the next 10 years.
Mr. Chairman, if we look at this chart, it shows interest versus other spending. This line right here--net interest--is the one that we should all be very concerned about because this is something that we have to pay for. This is not a line item that we can all of a sudden say: No, we're not going to pay as much on net interest as we're going to maybe on defense or education or transportation. This is something that we as American people have to pay because of the interest on our debt. This only gets worse if we don't do something sooner.
And so today, in contrast to the President's budget that increases taxes and increases spending--and his budget actually never, ever balances--we, as Republicans, are putting forward a responsible budget, a balanced budget, and one that I believe is critically important for the future of our country and for the future of our economy. Our budget balances in 10 years.
So, Mr. Chairman, if you look at this chart, it doesn't take an economist to see which plan will ultimately lead to debt and decline and which plan will lead us to growth and prosperity.
The House Republican budget begins making payments on our national debt in year 2024, and the President's budget just digs us deeper and deeper into the hole.
I can tell you, Mr. Chairman, I have two sons, Payton and Preston, 13 and 9 years old. We cannot continue to hand them the bill and expect them and future generations to pay for the spending of Washington that is out of control. That is why we have to get to a balanced budget sooner rather than later.
On top of balancing the budget, this plan calls for a fair and simpler Tax Code. It ends ObamaCare's broken promises and strengthens our entitlement programs for current seniors and for future beneficiaries. In light of current threats, this budget also increases defense spending, which is a priority for us, so that our military--our men and women in uniform--can defend this country at a very dangerous time.
This plan is an opportunity for us to stand together and to show the American people that we are committed to A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America, to starting to pay our debt down to make sure that future generations don't have to pay for those debts and that we can work together on commonsense reforms.
I thank the chairman for his work on this particular budget. I am proudly standing here today in support of that hard work, and I ask my colleagues to support it as well.
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