Opinion

BRANDON: Will Americans Ever Demand Fiscal Sanity Again? Will Congress Listen?

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Adam Brandon Contributor
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I remember when the spending fights in Washington were over billions in spending. That was roughly a decade ago. But last week, America’s national debt surpassed $30 trillion.

Anyone monitoring the debt has seen this day coming from a mile away, but that doesn’t make this figure any less shocking. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the United States has added trillions of dollars in debt. Where are the adults in the room when it comes to keeping America’s fiscal house in order?

But the problem didn’t start in 2020. For years, politicians — particularly Republicans — have promised to prioritize fiscal responsibility and failed to deliver. Members of Congress have vowed to rein in government spending; instead, they’ve done exactly the opposite. Rather than reduce our national debt, they have raised it to levels that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago.

This level of spending can’t be allowed to continue. Unfortunately, President Joe Biden and his leftist allies in the federal government haven’t merely failed to cut spending — they’ve increased it radically. Democrats have already rammed through trillions in new spending in the past year and want to spend trillions more on leftist pet projects.

Sadly, Republicans haven’t been much better. One thing that Republicans and Democrats in Washington clearly agree upon is spending taxpayer dollars recklessly. From 2017 to 2021, our national debt increased by nearly $8 trillion, despite Republicans having almost total control of the federal government.

As Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen once said, “The most significant threat to our national security is our debt.” Future generations will be forced to deal with the consequences of the decisions made by these politicians, who claim that racking up debt is “compassionate” if this money is spent on socialist programs. As our national debt increases, trillions more dollars will have to be reallocated to paying off the debt.

The $30 trillion debt milestone should be a wake-up call to everyday Americans and politicians in both parties who have gotten us into this mess. But there seems to be no urgency to address it. In fact, Democrats are actively trying to bring Biden’s socialist Build Back Better (BBB) bill back to life. At this perilous time for our country’s fiscal health, do we really need trillions more in new spending?

Clearly, the answer is no. But that isn’t stopping Democrats from pushing for more spending to appease the radicals in their party. Thankfully, the American people aren’t on board. Biden’s approval ratings are currently at an all-time low, and Republicans are poised to make enormous gains in November’s midterm elections.

This is a massive opportunity for Republicans to stop the left’s socialist spending in its tracks. But they must not just talk about fiscal responsibility — they must also follow through on their promise to halt out-of-control spending. Debt increases need to end immediately, and President Biden’s Build Back Broke legislation must not become law.

Stopping the radical left’s new spending proposals is a good first step, but Republicans must act to get our nation out of the hole of debt that it’s been dug into. We cannot afford to continue deficit spending, with no end in sight. Republicans must get serious about stopping what is currently a runaway train.

It’s unfortunate that for years, our representatives in Washington have continued to fail the American people by running up endless debt. Now that our national debt has surpassed $30 trillion, voters must demand more from Republicans if they are given power in the midterms.

The Biden administration’s spending, and the spending of prior administrations, has created a disaster. The endless increases to our national debt must stop before it is too late.

Adam Brandon is the president of FreedomWorks.