[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 180 (Thursday, December 5, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6370-H6371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
                      WASHINGTON'S FISCAL INSANITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, when I come to this floor, I often speak about 
how our brightest days are yet to come, about the next generation of 
Americans, and about the future we should be working to build for them.
  Currently, the Biden administration and Washington's embrace of 
fiscal insanity is a stumbling block to reaching that future. In 
November, America's national debt climbed to $36 trillion.
  This is not normal. Washington, D.C., has a spending addiction, and 
it is just expected that Americans and future generations of Americans 
will pay for it. Our Nation, our children, our future grandchildren, 
and our future great-grandchildren cannot afford for us to continue 
kicking the can down the road.
  Last year, the U.S. Census revealed that the median household income 
was nearly $80,000. Today, if everyone decided to pitch in and tackle 
our debt, every American household would need to contribute almost 
$273,000 to bring our balance to zero.
  Compare that price tag to the average mortgage in the United States, 
which is about $245,000. Our national debt 4 years ago was nearly $28 
trillion. Over the course of 1,400 days, the United States accumulated 
a debt of $68,352 per second.
  No American family could survive that way. Yet, year after year, this 
is the way our Federal Government acts. This is not sustainable.
  If any Member of this body had a loved one who was racking up debt at 
this rate, none of us would encourage them to mindlessly continue their 
spending habits. We would do what we could to help them evaluate their 
spending and get them back on the right track.
  Yet, only about half of this body seems to care about how our Federal 
Government spends our tax dollars. Our fiscal house is in utter 
disaster, and we need to get serious and start finding solutions.
  Since I was sworn into Congress, I have sounded the alarm on our 
national debt. I have opposed bloated spending packages that only 
focused on funding far-left wish lists. I fought to reduce and 
reprioritize our Federal spending. I have challenged this body to think 
about the blank checks we are writing and ask ourselves: Is there a way 
to do this more efficiently?
  This petition has often been ignored while Washington sticks to 
business as normal and spends, spends, spends. Enough is enough. This 
is not fiscal responsibility. This is fiscal insanity.
  On November 5, 2024, America made it clear that we no longer want 
business as usual in this town. It is time to get our fiscal house in 
order and to get our country back on track.
  As America approaches its 250th birthday, President-elect Trump was 
spot-on in creating the Department of Government Efficiency as a 
perfect gift to our Nation and to the next generation of Americans.
  Mr. President, hear me loud and clear: We will work with you to make 
our government work for the people again, to make it efficient again, 
and

[[Page H6371]]

to clean up our fiscal house. Let's work together to end the Federal 
Government's out-of-control spending once and for all.
  This challenge is not going to be easy, but America is worth it. The 
future of our country is worth it. The next generation of Americans is 
worth it.
  I know that we can do it. We are going to have to do it together, and 
our brightest days truly are yet to come.

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