Thread: U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks warns government has dire financial prob

U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks warns government has dire financial problems
Published: Sunday, June 12, 2011, 10:16 AM By Brian Lawson, The U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville. (The Huntsville Times)


MADISON, Alabama -- U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks had little good news for the audience at a town hall meeting in Madison Saturday.

Brooks, R-Huntsville, said many people do not understand the seriousness of the country's $1.4 trillion budget deficit and long-term debt problems. He raised the specter of eventual U.S. insolvency unless major changes are made.

"Great nations weaken from within before they fall from without," Brooks said, echoing a number of similar quotes from U.S. officials who expressed grave concern about the country's national debt and growing budget deficit.

Brooks showed figures and charts on the growth in government spending in the past three years, the continued high unemployment rates and the size of foreign ownership of U.S. debt, including about 29 percent by China and 19 percent by Japan.

Brooks, who was elected last November, told the crowd that in early August Congress will have to hold a vote on whether to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, currently at $14.2 trillion. Experts have warned that lifting the debt ceiling is necessary to ensure the U.S. meets its financial obligations over the short run through borrowing.

Brooks said the current looming deadline gives lawmakers a chance to dramatically cut spending. He said the Republican majority in the U.S. House is committed to doing that, but the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, and President Barack Obama have a different vision.

Brooks said House Republicans oppose defense spending cuts and any tax increases while Democrats favor increasing taxes.

Brooks said he would not vote to raise the debt ceiling unless spending cuts are made this year, to the tune of $300 billion to $500 billion, or roughly 9 percent of the entire annual budget.

Brooks, an attorney, also wants to see Congress pass legislation calling for an amendment to the Constitution that requires a balanced budget each year. Brooks said spending cuts won't go far enough and there is no predicting how future members of Congress would vote.

Brooks said he wants to see an amendment that would require votes of three-fourths, or possibly two-thirds, of both the House and Senate before an unbalanced budget would be allowed for a given fiscal year.

Audience members spent more than an hour questioning Brooks on issues ranging from illegal immigration, federal regulations, oil drilling and the wisdom of the "Fair Tax." Brooks said he supports the fair tax proposal, which calls for the elimination of federal income and payroll taxes and replaces it with a national sales tax of 23 percent.

A longtime critic of U.S. immigration policy, Brooks said he supports any measure, "short of shooting them," that would force illegal immigrants back to their home countries. He said Congress is unlikely to do anything on the issue in the next few years.

Brooks also called for President Obama to carefully consider whether U.S. forces need to remain in Afghanistan. He said the U.S. should not be involved in Libya's civil war and called on European and Asian nations to take a larger role in the Persian Gulf and Middle East.

Brooks said the U.S. can no longer afford to be the world's policeman and said he favors cutting up to 90 percent of the country's foreign aid commitments.

In calling for changes to Social Security and supporting U.S. Rep Paul Ryan's plan to eventually turn Medicare over to private insurers, Brooks said the country has to seriously address its huge budget deficit and national debt. Failing to do so will be catastrophic, he said.

"The American people need to decide what direction they want to go," Brooks said.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/06/us.html

What a surprise here....I would hope Government officials have dire election problems...


Kathyet