Gardner opposed to government taking on more debt

Cory Gardner is among a growing list of Republicans in the house who oppose the federal government’s adding debt until its financial affairs are in order.

Government waste and spending was one of the key reasons Republicans swept control of the House in November. Government spending is now at a point where many economists say it is unsustainable.

Last year the Democrat-controlled Congress failed to pass a budget as required by the Constitution. Since the budget deadline has passed, the government has been operating with a series of continuing resolutions.

With the election of the new Congress, fierce debate has ensued over the budget. While both sides talk of spending cuts it is important to understand what the term means.

In Washington it is customary for programs to have a certain rate of increase. If the rate of increase changes, it is considered a cut even if the amount has increased. For example, if a program normally increased by 10 percent a year but the budget only allowed for an 8 percent increase over last year’s budget, that is considered a budget cut.

The current federal debt is over $14 trillion. That is the equivalent of one dollar bills stacked end to end reaching from the earth to the sun and back seven times. Every member of Congress acknowledges the issue needs to be dealt with. Several members, including Cory Gardner and Sen. Mark Udall, have proposed balanced budget amendments.

Part of the debate concerns raising the debt limit of the federal government which is expected to hit the $14.3 trillion ceiling around April 15. House Speaker John Boehner has repeatedly said the limit needs to be raised. Boehner, along with democratic leaders, believes not raising the limit would cause the government to default on obligations and damage the U.S. credit rating.

That allegation is disputed by the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute which say the government could still service interest on the debt with existing tax revenues provided substantial cuts are made to the budget.

A survey by WorldnetDaily reveals that there are currently 121 House Republicans opposed to taking on more debt while 55 others are also opposed but with conditions such as spending cuts. The survey was based on direct answers and public statements by officials. The survey also said that only 22 of the 241 members believe Boehner’s position that rasing the debt is vital.

Cory Gardner is on the list of Republicans opposing more debt. Gardner said, "We should not even be talking about raising the debt ceiling until we have made substantive spending cuts and spending reform. Endless borrowing is not a viable strategy."