Government Spending

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, my staff and I finished our 34th townhall in the home of one of America's greatest citizens: my mentor and my hero, Bob Dole. At every location we go, most often, several people ask me about the $20 trillion of deficit this country has and our debt, the $600 billion of deficit we have every year.

Americans work too hard and there are too many worthwhile functions of government for the Federal Government to irresponsibly spend taxpayer dollars.

From the time I started thinking about running for office, it has been a priority of mine to help create a fiscally responsible plan to reduce our annual deficits and national debt. Yet again, this year, 70 percent of our budget is mandatory spending--70 percent of our budget is mandatory spending--and therefore is spent before the annual appropriations discussions even begin. If we hope to eliminate the deficit, we must address mandatory spending programs and be willing to engage in tough conversations.

This administration and Congress have taken steps to limit bureaucracy and rein in the size and scope of the Federal Government.

In this spirit, we hope Congress stays true to this objective as we debate the upcoming budget in order to ensure that our limited taxpayer dollars are spent where they are most needed.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring my colleagues up to date on my last visit to Clark County, Kansas.

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues may remember that earlier this year wildfires consumed a vast sum of Clark County. The wildfires wrought havoc for many ranchers, farmers, families, and landowners in Clark County and across much of southwest Kansas, not to mention parts of Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Besides the lives lost, including one in Kansas, thousands of livestock, 650,000 acres, and many family properties that had been passed down through generations burned in this disastrous blaze.

Through the perseverance of Kansans living in this region, a considerable amount of progress has been made since I visited right after the fires in March thanks to so many people throughout the country who donated hay as well as their personal services helping rebuild the hundreds of miles of fences that were burned down.

After visiting with the Giles family and the Grigsby family--both families impacted by the fires--their resilience, their strength, and their faith was made clear. These are the type of folks who are now working day in and day out to restore this section of the heartland.

I am delighted to see green rising in the pastures which was once scorched earth, burnt-to-the-ground grass. I am again reminded of the honor I have of working to represent some of the most hardworking Americans in the world: the Kansas agriculture, the Kansas farmers, and the Kansas ranchers.

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