Washington's Spending Addiction

Michele Bachmann | September 24, 2009 1:20 PM

Just in case you didn’t realize it, Washington has a spending problem. And this problem paves the way for a myriad of dismal scenarios. Last month, the White House released updated budget numbers that are downright scary. The Obama Administration is projecting a federal deficit of $1.6 trillion this year and his budget would create $9 trillion in budget deficits over the next decade--more debt than America accumulated from the Presidencies of George Washington to George W. Bush combined (1789 through 2008). And this is using President Obama’s own estimates.

Others like the Heritage Foundation find that the President’s budget will likely produce $13 trillion in deficit spending over the next 10 years--nearly $4 trillion more than the Administration forecast. Why is that? Well, according to Heritage, “the White House figures are based on unrealistic estimates of discretionary spending, interest payments, and interest rates. The White House also used budget gimmicks to hide the full cost of certain entitlements and failed to account for the full costs of cap-and-trade energy legislation and health care reform.”

But regardless of whether it is $9 trillion or $13 trillion, it’s a heck of a lot of money we don’t have. And our nation’s debt now sits at well over $11 trillion, closer to $12 trillion, actually, the highest it’s ever been in our nation’s history.

I’ve made an update to my congressional website and have