For too many years official Washington has been on a spending spree.  We must take steps now to restore fiscal responsibility.  An economy in trouble requires all of us, politicians in Washington, as well as every day Americans, to exercise fiscal responsibility. 

The American people have made it clear that they value fiscal responsibility in their elected officials.  Managing public money is a matter of public trust.  The American people have elected each member of Congress to safely manage their money. 

I have consistently called for a Balanced Budget Amendment.  I believe that is the first step toward restoring fiscal responsibility.  Once Congress is required by law to balance the budget, we will be able to eliminate fraud and wasteful spending. 

We must learn the important lessons of this economic crisis.  Record deficits are not the answer.  Paying $800 billion a year just to service our debt is not the answer.  Increasing government spending during these tough times is not the answer.  Restoring fiscal discipline is the answer.  By doing so we will become wise stewards of taxpayer money and at the same time we will be taking the necessary steps to protect the future of our young people.

I know that the economy continues to be the most important challenge facing us today.  Unemployment is at its highest rate in the last 26 years.  The American people are struggling to pay their bills.  But they are doing exactly that.  Every pay day they balance their budget.  They cut spending where they have to in order to do that.  How can Washington do any less?

Cross posted at Vern Buchanan

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Absolutely not, but it is time for strong leadership in Washington. We must begin to take fundamental, positive steps to reduce the deficit. We need to act responsibly, to stop the out of control spending and to work together to get the economy back on track.

As Ronald Reagan said, for too long our government has operated on the following premise: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.” It’s this kind of thinking that’s led to massive expansion of government into the private sector and led to our growing national debt.

To say that we can't indefinitely sustain deficit spending is an understatement. Don't let anyone tell you that increased government spending doesn't affect each American. The average American worker now has to labor 111 days just to pay for federal spending, according to Monika Ciesielska, from the Center for Fiscal Accountability. She writes that although tax freedom day actually dropped ten days this year over the previous year, the Cost of Government Day advanced nearly a month.

Personally, I think Washington needs to take a deep breath and take their hands out of taxpayers’ pockets. Because I firmly believe leadership isn’t a knack for spending taxpayer money, but instead leadership is realizing when not to spend money and when you have to, knowing how to stretch each dollar in a positive direction.

Now is the time to cut spending, look for waste and not take on new programs that we can't afford. 

Cross posted at Vern Buchanan, United States Congressman.

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For the first time in the history of our great nation, the deficit has reached $1 trillion.  Experts predict that federal spending could very well exceed revenues by almost $2 trillion by this fall. To become a fan of Vern Buchanan on Facebook click here.

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