Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) reintroduced their Sustainable Budget Act, which would establish a bipartisan commission to identify a plan to address our unsustainable national debt and balance the budget.
“For years, we have let our national debt balloon out of control. It’s time to stop this reckless spending and have an honest conversation about the real drivers of the problem,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bill will establish a bipartisan committee to cut through the noise and find lasting solutions to set the U.S. on the path to a fiscally sustainable future.”
“We are on an unsustainable path, plain and simple. Congress has spent trillions of dollars in the last two years with no plan to pay it back, and in the wake of the President’s latest budget request, fiscal responsibility seems low on his list of priorities. People in Wyoming live within their means, and it is time Congress followed suit. Our debt-to-GDP ratio is 97%. It is inexcusable and it is time to fix it,” said Senator Lummis.
“America is headed for the rocks if we do nothing to right our fiscal ship. Just doing a simple budget like every small business does would make a world of difference for our kids and grandkids. We need action, and since the Budget Committee is now being used for anything but making a budget, I’m glad to join Senator Lummis in introducing this bill to put a commission together to balance our budget,” said Senator Braun.
“The federal government should live within its means,” said Senator Rounds. “The federal debt and annual deficits have grown immensely, and it is our duty to cut wasteful and unnecessary spending where possible. Over the past two years, the federal government has been set on spending without accountability. Hardworking American taxpayers deserve better. To chart a sustainable path forward for our nation, our bill would create a bipartisan commission to review all government spending, not just defense and non-defense discretionary spending that Congress appropriates each year.”
Click here for bill text.
Background:
Senator Cramer has been vocal about the need for Congress to exercise greater fiscal discipline. To this end, in addition to the Sustainable Budget Act, he helped introduce the Balanced Budget Act and the Full Faith and Credit Act.
Last year, Senator Cramer penned an op-ed calling for a return to regular order to reduce needless spending: “Following regular order by writing bills, holding hearings, marking up in committee, amending on the Senate floor, and reconciling in a conference committee inherently leads to better products. These products have buy-in from elected members of Congress who are accountable to their voters.” Learn more here.