Budget

We know we can’t tax our way out of debt. The best way to bring down the deficit is by growing the economy through better tax policy and holding the line on spending. This is why the House fulfilled its constitutional power of the purse by passing the Fiscal Year 2018 budget resolution during the first week of October.

It has been a productive August meeting with people on the front lines of our economy. As September begins, Congress is reconvening in Washington, D.C. We have a lot of work to do.

The budget and appropriations processes are fundamental responsibilities of Congress, and I am ready to continue our work to cut spending and put our country on a more sustainable course.

President Obama made his final budget request to Congress this week. At $4.1 trillion, it is the most expensive budget proposal in history.

Congress faces a familiar deadline on November 3 to raise the debt ceiling. We have reached this cliff far too many times in recent years, when the federal government hits its limit on the total amount of money it can legally borrow.

We have now successfully shifted the conversation in Washington from how much to spend to how much to cut. These decisions certainly are not easy, but there is an immense amount of work to do to bring our country's deficit under control.