In the News

September 30th marked the end of the federal fiscal year. It also marks the third year in a row that our government has overspent a trillion dollars more than we had available. Racking up additional debt at the expense of hardworking taxpayers has to stop. Already every man, woman and child in our nation owes $46,000 towards the outstanding $14.3 trillion federal debt. This is one of the reasons I voted against further increasing our national debt. .

224 years after our experiment with democracy began; our Constitution has been amended only 27 times. Some nations have had as many constitutions, as we have had amendments. This serves as a testament to the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers. In fact, it is the second oldest written constitution in use today.

On August 23rd I was glad to join members of the Clinton County Farm Bureau for their annual dinner. Throughout the evening, I had the opportunity to hear from farmers about how policies coming out of Washington have affected their ability to remain profitable, so that they may pass down farm land to their children and grandchildren. Farming is a tradition in Ohio. Our agriculture community not only grows important crops such as corn and soy beans, but also provides jobs and capital that are essential to our economy.

The month of August offers an extended time for Members of Congress to hear directly from their constituents about issues affecting the community and the direction of our country. This August, I've had the opportunity to visit with businesses, civic groups, seniors, and local government officials to discuss their thoughts and concerns.

For months, Congress has been debating how to deal with the economic questions surrounding an increase in our debt limit. At a time when foreign nations own nearly $4.5 trillion of our $14.2 trillion debt – proposed cuts in the recently passed deal could have serious implications for our national security. That's why I was concerned that national security funding would be subject to an initial $175 billion cut in the final version of the Budget Control Act of 2011 that has been passed by Congress and signed by the President.

In 1995, the House of Representatives passed a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution with bipartisan support. The total national debt at the time was $4.95 trillion – an amount alarming enough to warrant an attempt to change the Constitution in order to prevent the debt from further increasing. Today, our national debt stands at $14.6 trillion dollars and we are on a path toward $26 trillion in ten years time. .

On July 22-23, the Library of Congress will be showcasing displays of many of our national treasures in Wilmington, OH. .