[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CALL FOR FISCAL CONSERVATISM

  (Mr. SPANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SPANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to an 
obstacle that has stood before this Nation for many years, but that has 
recently risen to new and alarming heights.
  Last month, the United States national debt topped $22 trillion for 
the first time in our history. This is $3 trillion higher than our 
annual GDP and equates to over $67,000 in debt to be borne by each and 
every American.
  I understand this debt is the culmination of choices that all seemed 
responsible in the moment. My colleagues and I entered public office to 
serve the country. And, too often, it is tempting to fix society by 
throwing money at our problems. However, this tactic mortgages future 
generations for the benefit of the present.
  Congress has a duty to serve not only their own generation but 
generations to come, and we must exercise prudence to balance the 
desires of the present with the needs of the future.
  This $22 trillion problem will require strong resolve from strong 
leaders.
  Our Nation looks to us, this Congress, to correct the spending 
mistakes of the past, and I look forward to working with you all to 
clear a path for our future.

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