Jim Abeler on Budget & Economy

Borrowing places our sovereignity at risk

Abeler: Strongly Agree

Question topic: Briefly list political or legislative issues of most concern to you.

Abeler: Debt & deficit: we must live within our means, and cannot rely on borrowing. That places our sovereignity at risk.

Led $3.8B in human services cuts to close MN budget gap

Abeler said the $17 trillion national deficit, and massive debt to foreign countries, are issues that national legislators will need to contend with. "If we don't get that under control, it will consume us," he said.

Abeler said his past legislative experiences would help in trying to find a solution. When Minnesota was faced with a $6 billion state deficit in 2011, Abeler led the committee that found a way to cut $3.8 billion in human services spending through permanent reductions. Cuts were made carefully to avoid harming the people who receive state services, he said. As a measure of the bill's success, he noted that Gov. Mark Dayton has kept the reductions in place.