By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday, September 8, 2017, U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery, voted against a bill that she said would raise the nation’s debt limit without reforms to curb wasteful spending.
Congresswoman Roby said, “Congress has no business raising the nation’s debt limit without reining in the runaway spending that is causing our debt problem. Every day I hear from constituents who are concerned about our nearly $20 trillion debt and frustrated by Washington’s unwillingness to address it.”
Roby added. “The problem won’t be easy to solve, but we have to try. This deal is temporary, so we will have another opportunity to enact spending reforms later this year. I sincerely hope we can negotiate a responsible agreement that will help put our country on a more sustainable financial path.”
Rep. Roy, a fiscal hawk, recently reintroduced her balanced budget constitutional amendment that would require Congress and the President to pass a balanced budget each year.
Roby said, “Seeing our conservative measures survive negotiations with the Senate has proven to be quite a challenge in recent years. It can be a frustrating process to say the least, partly because those who favor more government spending have every incentive to delay, drag their feet, and hold out on responsible agreements. I believe it is time to change that, and one remedy I favor is amending the U.S. Constitution to require our government to balance its budget.”
Roby continued, “That’s why I’ve introduced H.J. Res. 114, Legislation to amend the Constitution that, if passed and ratified, would require Congress and the President to enact a balanced budget every year.” “Some say a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution like mine is unrealistic. I understand the skepticism. After all, the Constitution has only been successfully amended 17 times beyond the original ten in the Bill of Rights. It is a difficult process, just as it should be. However, I say what’s truly unrealistic is the notion that we could maintain this great country as we know it by continuing to spend more than we take in. Instead of a political incentive for politicians to spend irresponsibly, we need a constitutional requirement against it.”
Roby voted to provide disaster relief to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The bill was later amended in the Senate to add the debt limit increase.
The budget deficit is $687 billion a year. The current national debt is $19.978 trillion.
Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. Prior to that she served as a councilwoman on the Montgomery City Council.
