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Most of you know this, but the federal government is only funded through September 30th. Prior to that date, Congress is supposed to pass legislation that funds the various federal agencies beyond September 30th. That process is shaping up to be a complete disaster, which is not surprising. We have too many entrenched Members of Congress who don’t care about our outrageous spending.

This is another long-winded post, but I want everyone to know what we’re facing next month. I’m going to remind you of the promises I’ve made concerning spending and debt, so that when this comes to a head next month, you’ll know exactly where I stand.

Let me start by reminding everyone what I’ve said so many times it’s become annoying:

Our federal government has a massive spending problem. So far, our deficit spending this fiscal year alone is over $1.6 TRILLION. That means the government spent $1.6 trillion more than it confiscated from you, the taxpayers, and there’s still two months left in this fiscal year! For decades, we’ve had these massive deficits, and our collective debt is now over $32 trillion! Friends, that is an astronomical amount of money. We either fix this madness or the nation we know & love is finished. That’s not hyperbole.

Yet for some strange, sick reason, Democrats and even a lot of Republicans in Washington believe there’s no urgency to this crisis. They act as though we can just continue to spend trillions more than we have, and somehow, it’ll all work out. Some believe we can tax our way out of this mess, which is laughable. At this point, taxing enough to balance the budget and pay down this debt would utterly cripple our economy.

The bottom line is that federal spending must be cut dramatically. No nibbling around the edges. No blue-ribbon commission to recommend modest, inconsequential reductions. No proposals for future cuts. We need real action, and we need it now!

That means every spending package that comes before Congress MUST contain responsible, reasonable reductions to keep us on a trajectory to balance the budget within a period of time. Every package. No excuses, no exceptions.

As you know, I’m part of the House Freedom Caucus. For the appropriations bills currently under consideration, we’re calling for our topline spending to be pulled back to where it was just recently in FY22 to $1.471 trillion. That’s a reduction of only $130 billion from current spending levels. But to hear this proposal sends the establishment in Washington into a tizzy. Heaven forbid they’d only be able to spend what they spent… just two years ago!! 

Do you see how crazy this is? Our deficit spending is on pace for $2 trillion this year, and these people are throwing a tantrum over a measly $130 billion in reductions? If they think it’s hard now, just wait until we get down the road! Forget paying down the debt for a moment. If we’re just trying to balance the budget within 10 years, I’d a suggest modest reduction of just $130 billion this year probably isn’t enough!

So that’s where things stand. You’re soon going to hear news stories about how “evil conservatives” like me are throwing a wrench into things, causing a shutdown, hurting the children, standing in the way of the American people, blah blah blah. The truth is conservatives like me seem to be the only people in Washington who care about the fiscal solvency of our nation and the security of our future generations. Those who tell you otherwise are lying.

Anyone in Congress who is not fully on board with balancing the budget by 2033 probably ought to be replaced at the ballot box. There’s just no way to keep this ship sailing unless we can get this deficit spending under control, and the topline spending level of $1.471 trillion is not a difficult stretch by any means. 

I’m also opposed to using a series of short-term “continuing resolutions” to kick the can down the road, as Congress has done so many times. Already we’re hearing rumors of House & Senate leadership working on a short-term funding extension to get us to December. That’s a nonstarter in my book. Pushing this important job back to some arbitrary date during the Christmas holiday, when everyone’s trying to get back home, is a recipe for another terrible outcome that I simply will not accept. We deal with this now.

Additionally, there are three other things the Freedom Caucus wants from these spending bills next month:

1. They need to include the “Secure the Border Act of 2023” to cease the unchecked flow of illegal migrants, combat the evils of human trafficking, and stop the flood of dangerous fentanyl into our country. The House already passed this bill, but it stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

2. There needs to be something meaningful in this legislation to refocus the Justice Department and FBI on the real criminals, not political witch hunts as we’ve seen OVER AND OVER.

3. And while we’re at it, these spending bills need to thoroughly strip away every single woke policy and program at the Pentagon. I’m so tired of what woke “progressives” have done to this nation, especially when it comes to our military.

Friends, I don’t care what the liberal media says. I don’t care about re-election. What I care about is fiscal solvency. And come hell or high water, I’m going to use every opportunity and vote in Congress to get our country back on the right track.