Tom Coburn on Budget & Economy

Jr Senator; previously Republican Representative (OK-2)

Creating deficit is stealing from our children

Q: You have a Republican president, Senate, & House. Did they do something evil by creating the deficit?

A: If we steal from our children, when we don't have to, [that is a] problem. We have decision-making often being made that centers around the politician and not the next generation. Our decisions ought to be long run and we ought to be caring for the next generation rather than the next election. And the expediency of spending money we don't have hurts now but it also hurts the next generation

Source: Coburn-Carson debate on Meet The Press Oct 3, 2004

Freeze any increase in spending except homeland security

Q: Can you honestly balance the budget without looking at Social Security and defense?

A: Congress has not been responsible with spending. Everybody in America knows that the government is not efficient. We need to have a freeze on any increase in government spending except homeland defense and defense. We need to look at every government program. We have to be frugal. We have to do the right thing in terms of discretionary and we have to address the issues with Medicare and Social Security.

Source: Coburn-Carson debate on Meet The Press Oct 3, 2004

Hard to repay the ever expanding discretionary spending

We have politicians that are ever expanding the discretionary spending in this country. We get a little bit, but we pay for everybody else to get a whole lot more. And the ultimate pattern that we have to look at is what's going to happen to our children and our grandchildren as we continue to spend their money. We're going to finance $1.2 trillion this year on the international markets. Do people really believe we can repay that? Source: Coburn-Carson debate on Meet The Press Oct 3, 2004

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