COLUMN: Socialism and skyrocketing debts are wrong for the United States

You owe the government $204,000. That may seem like an exaggeration, but that is the share of the national debt shouldered by each household in the country. The total national debt of the United States just surpassed $26 Trillion – its highest number in history. It has quintupled in just the past twenty years, and it grows with every passing second.

This is an unfortunate, but entirely predictable, outcome of the federal government's chronic addiction to spending more money than it has. Not since 2001 have we operated within our means. When you and your family spend more than you have, the debt collectors come calling and there are real consequences; but when the government spends more than it has, it just raises the debt ceiling. This debt burden is unfair to the American people and is just plain irresponsible.

As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have participated in numerous hearings regarding the funding levels for our nation's federal programs and agencies. I have advocated for efficient use of taxpayer dollars and have urged my colleagues to rein in our out-of-control spending. Despite the growing debt that threatens our ability to provide for our citizens and protect our country, Democrats in Congress continue to push for reckless proposals to expand spending even further. Here are the price tags on some of the items on the Democrats' socialist wish-list:

- Universal Free College = $1.5 Trillion

- Reparations for Slavery = $14 Trillion

- "Medicare for All" = $30 Trillion

- "The Green New Deal" = $93 Trillion

These proposals total $138.5 trillion over the next ten years. For reference, the annual budget of the U.S. government is roughly $4.4 trillion. In other words, Democrats want to triple the federal budget. The only way to pay for these proposals is by massively increasing taxes on Americans or by taking on more debt. Should we continue on this path of irresponsible spending, we are not only adding to the growing amount of money indebted upon each American family, but we are putting our important mandatory programs at risk such as Social Security, Medicare, and funding for our military.

Proposals like these are not made in good faith to serve the citizens of the United States. Instead, they are an attempt to seize control of our economy and drive America into a socialist future.

Not only can we not afford socialism in this country, but we also know that it simply doesn't work – especially in a free society like ours. It never has, and it never will. Just one look at the brutal oppression and economic devastation in countries like Venezuela, China, Cuba, and the former Soviet states is all the evidence that "democratic" socialism is a pipe dream.

This path is wrong for Central Washington and wrong for the country.

I joined my Republican colleagues to sign a letter to the American people that reaffirms our commitment to defend America from the brazen affronts of socialism and the more insidious threat of the skyrocketing national debt. In order for the federal government to better serve current and future generations, we must preserve liberty, fiscal responsibility, national security, and safety-net solvency. In contrast to the Democrats who want to tax-and-spend us into socialist oblivion, House Republicans are dedicated to responsibly allocating resources within our means.

The people of Central Washington cannot afford – and do not deserve – a failed socialist experiment. I am committed to defending the concepts of free enterprise and individual liberty that make this country great, and I will continue to work to ensure each and every one of us has the opportunity to pursue "the American Dream" – not shackle them with an unpayable debt.