Bradley Byrne: Reforming and reducing federal spending
At this very moment, the national debt sits at over $18 trillion dollars, and it shows no signs of going down anytime soon. Our spending problems are reaching crisis level, and we are set to leave behind a catastrophe for the next generation. Take my grandson MacGuire for example. Before his first birthday, his share of the national debt is already over $40,000. We cannot turn a blind eye to this problem and pretend that it will just get better. Congress must get serious about reining in spending. As you may know, there are two basic types of federal spending: mandatory and discretionary. Discretionary spending is what most people think of as essential government functions. This is money that goes to things like our military, highways, national parks, agriculture, and medical research. The good thing about discretionary spending is that each year Congress has the ability to set these spending levels through the appropriations process. Discretionary spending has become a smaller and smaller portion of the federal budget over the last few decades. In fact, it now makes up only around one-third of all federal spending. Mandatory spending, along with the interest on the debt, makes up the other two-thirds of the federal budget. However, unlike discretionary spending, mandatory spending does not require an annual appropriation from Congress. As long as someone meets the requirements, these programs dole out money without any action from Congress. Within mandatory spending are what we call means based entitlement programs. This includes programs like Medicaid, Obamacare, food stamps, and other welfare programs. While some of these programs serve an important purpose, there are serious questions about their effectiveness as costs skyrocket. In Fiscal Year 2012 alone, the federal government spent almost $800 billion on over 92 various programs aimed at lifting Americans out of poverty. Despite that record spending, too many Americans simply stopped looking for work. The system is clearly failing the very people it was designed to help. It is not a surprise that spending on these programs increased during the recent economic downturn, but it is surprising that spending on these programs continues to rise even as the economy improves. I fear that these programs are actually driving up the national debt and fueling a dangerous cycle of government dependence. I believe we must reform these programs and put a real focus on job training to help connect Americans with the skills they need to find work. We could block grant money to the state governments each year and allow individual states to craft poverty fighting programs based on their state’s specific societal and economic needs. Why is it so critical we get mandatory spending under control? In 1965, only 34% of the federal budget was consumed by mandatory spending programs. In 2014, over 66% of the budget was made up of mandatory spending. Without action, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2040, over 75% of federal spending will be on auto-pilot. That would leave only 25% of the budget to go towards some of the federal governments most basic responsibilities, like providing for the common defense. I know that reforming these programs will not be easy, but I did not run for Congress to make easy decisions. Before I leave Congress, I want to be able to look my grandson MacGuire in the eyes and know that I have been a part of a real effort to rein in spending and put our nation on a fiscally stable path for the next generation. I hope my colleagues will join me in addressing our nation’s spending crisis and working toward a better future for the next generation. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Email Insights: Bradley Byrne highlights federal spending crisis
U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday to deliver a speech on how out-of-control federal spending is reaching crisis level and could result in a catastrophe for the next generation. In an email Tuesday afternoon, Byrne released the following video of his speech where he talked specifically about means based entitlement programs, including Medicaid, Obamacare, food stamps, among other welfare programs, noting spending within these programs has ballooned in recent years, despite improvements in the economy. We have reached a point where we must get serious about reining in our out-of-control spending or else we may fall victim to a similar fate that many nations throughout history have experienced. A full transcript of the video can be found below. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to talk about one of the biggest problems facing our nation – out-of-control spending. At this very moment the national debt sits at over $18 trillion dollars. We have not arrived at this point because of the actions of one party or one administration. Over the years, both parties have enacted programs that increased our debt. That said, we have reached a point where we must get serious about reining in our out-of-control spending or else we may fall victim to a similar fate that many nations throughout history have experienced. Here in the United States, our spending problems are reaching crisis level, and we are effectively leaving behind a catastrophe for the next generation. The basis of the American dream is that if you work hard, you can leave behind a better future for your children and grandchildren. That fundamentally American vision is in jeopardy due in part to our irresponsible spending. I am a new and very proud grandfather. My grandson, MacGuire, is about to turn one and already his share of the national debt – before his first birthday – is over $40,000. We cannot turn a blind eye to this problem and pretend that it will just get better. Let me explain why. There are two basic forms of federal spending: mandatory spending and discretionary spending. Mr. Speaker, when most people think of the federal government, they are probably thinking about discretionary programs. This is money that goes to things like our military, highways, national parks, agriculture, and medical research. The good thing about discretionary spending is that each year Congress has the ability to control these spending levels through the appropriations process. Since Republicans took control of the House in 2010, we have had some success in cutting funding to various federal agencies. For example, agencies like the IRS and EPA have seen their budgets cut in response to egregious executive overreach. While it may seem like it covers the majority of government operations, discretionary spending actually only makes up about one third of all federal spending. The other portion is what we call mandatory spending. This, along with the interest on the national debt, makes up almost two thirds of all federal spending. Now here’s the really bad part about mandatory spending: it is on auto-pilot. Unlike discretionary spending, mandatory spending does not require annual appropriations from Congress. Instead, as long as someone meets the requirements, these programs dole out money without any action from Congress. Within these mandatory spending programs are what we call means based entitlement programs, including things like Medicaid, Obamacare, food stamps, welfare, and the like. For example, in Fiscal Year 2012, the federal government spent almost $800 billion on over 92 programs aimed at lifting Americans out of poverty. Despite that record spending, too many Americans simply stopped looking for work. The system is failing the very people it was designed to help. While many of these means based entitlement programs have good intentions, they aren’t supposed to be permanent. These programs were created to help lift people out of poverty, not keep them there. That’s why it shouldn’t be a surprise that during the recent economic downturn spending on these means based entitlement programs ballooned. What is surprising however is that as the economy has improved, the spending on these programs has not gone down. In fact, spending on some of these programs remains at all-time highs. Now, Republicans and Democrats both agree that Americans shouldn’t be stuck in poverty, and that’s why we should put party politics aside and come together to address this dangerous cycle of government dependence. We need to reform these means based entitlement programs to put a real focus on workforce training to help connect Americans with the skills they need to get a good paying job that meets workforce demands. We could block grant, through the appropriations process, money to the state governments and allow them to craft poverty fighting programs based on their state’s specific societal problems and economic needs. Now, Mr. Speaker, I know that reforming these mandatory spending programs won’t be easy, but I didn’t run for Congress to come up here and make easy decisions. I doubt my colleagues did either. Before I leave this body, I want to be able to look at my grandson MacGuire and know that I have been a part of a real effort to rein in spending and put our nation on a fiscally stable path for the next generation. We won’t be able to make any real progress toward that goal without serious reforms to these means based entitlement programs. That is what is driving our debt, and we cannot keep looking the other way as the national debt skyrockets. So, Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to join me in addressing our nation’s spending crisis. Let’s come together and make the tough choices, let’s get our spending under control, and let’s leave behind a better America for the next generation.”
I’m a conservative, and I think it’s time we take the politics out of food stamps: guest opinion
Over my coffee yesterday morning I read the AL.com reader comments on a post about food stamps. I can’t help but take a moment to weigh in on the flawed argument that embarrassing those who need government assistance is how we address the ever-growing reliance on much-needed support. To understand my thoughts on the issue, though, I think it’s important you know who I am and where I came from. The short version: I know too well about poverty and hard times because I saw it firsthand growing up and again when I left home for college with very little money of my own. I am one of three kids of a mother who had us all between the ages of 16 and 20. My mother and stepfather spent most of my life working minimum-wage jobs at places like Pizza Hut, Walmart and grocery stores. I know about the shame and stigma of food stamps because my parents struggled to get on and off of them for years. This was back when food stamps resembled coupon books rather than debit cards. When we were off them my stepfather — one of the kindest, hardest-working men I’ve ever met — would often work two to three jobs at once. When I left for college, I rode 300 miles on an overnight Greyhound bus alone to get to orientation. I became the only child in my family who graduated high school and the first in my extended family to go to a four-year university. I worked odd jobs from day one, until a part-time job counting cars on the side of the road led to a full-time job in transportation statistics. Shame isn’t the answer. Those who need help are often already ashamed to ask for it, and those who are abusing the system are beyond shame. I write this to give context to my beliefs before anyone of you says that since I’m Republican or, worse, a tea-party Republican, I must not get it. I’ve heard it all before: I must have no heart. I can’t possibly understand. I’m mean and cruel and out of touch. The fact is I do know. I do get it. My first two decades spent in and around the cycle of poverty convinced me that we need to do better. That requires an honest conversation without partisan politics and name calling. We’ve got to look for solutions to strengthen families and encourage them to do more and to do better. Just because I’m Republican, I don’t want people to starve and be homeless any more than I believe that all Democrats think people should have everything handed to them. This rhetoric on both sides keeps us from crafting local, state and federal policies and encouraging the community action that would make a real difference in those who need temporary aid. We need comprehensive welfare reform. Period. Anyone who says what we’re doing now is working isn’t paying attention. According to a 2013 Cato report that analyzed U.S. Department of Agriculture data related to food stamps, “roughly 48 million Americans receive (such) benefits, costing taxpayers more than $78 billion per year.” Yet according to the USDA, nearly 18 million American households remain “food insecure.” This means an estimated 18 million American households have inconsistent access to food and don’t eat regularly. This fact should lead to a heartbreaking wake up call that we need to do better. Shame isn’t the answer. Those who need help are often already ashamed to ask for it, and those who are abusing the system are beyond shame. When you and everyone you know have a government-issued cell phone, food stamps and other government assistance, you’re not worried about shame. Children are brought up only knowing that they live in a system that provides barely enough to get by. What I long for is a world where the cycle of poverty isn’t accepted and repeated generation after generation. Those who live like this are what most people think of when they think of welfare. Instead, we need to return to what welfare (in all of its many forms) was intended to be: a stop-gap for those who hit a rough time and need help to get back on their feet. Today’s letters were related to food stamps, but food stamps are just a symptom of a bigger problem. We need to promote community education projects for those vulnerable to continued use of government assistance to learn healthy financial management and strategies to break the cycle. We need people in our communities to answer pleas for help with more than a free phone or food stamps. We need to promote job training and dropout prevention programs that will help those who want to help themselves. We need to elect men and women who know that the government isn’t the answer. Our welfare problem is bigger than food stamps; it goes to the core of what we want our nation to be. An honest discussion is the only way to address our real problems and open the door to the American Dream for everyone. This column appeared first on AL.com. Apryl Marie Fogel is a new Alabama resident who works as a conservative political activist.
