May 13, 2025

Top Five Moments: Budget Committee Hearing on the Fiscal State of the Nation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, the House Budget Committee held a hearing entitled, “The Fiscal State of the Nation.”The hearing featured testimony from majority witnesses—Dr. Joshua Rauh of the Hoover Institution, Dr. Paul Winfree of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, and Mr. Don Schneider of Piper Sandler—who offered Members a clear-eyed assessment of the federal government’s long-term fiscal outlook.

  1. Making the Case for One Big Beautiful Bill:

5

Watch HERE.

Rep. Addison McDowell (R-N.C.): “Make the Trump tax cuts permanent, slash red tape, unleash American energy, secure our borders, and keep the American dream alive for generations to come. When it comes to eliminating waste, there’s low-hanging fruit that we all should be able to agree on. Tax dollars that my constituents are sending to Washington should not go to things like radical environmental justice programs...It is time that we realign federal spending with American priorities and put American working families over bureaucrats. The fiscal state of our nation demands attention, and I thank the chairman of this Committee for his leadership on these issues.”

  1. Restoring Fiscal Sanity to Washington:

5

Watch HERE.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.): “Our debt crisis stems primarily from unchecked spending by Congress, not a lack of revenue. Global markets will not finance U.S. deficits indefinitely. And when confidence in our ability to repay fades, we risk a true sovereign debt crisis, collapsed pensions, failing banks, and shuttered federal programs. Thankfully, President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget offers a path forward. It proposes an almost 23 percent cut in non-defense discretionary spending – that’s a $163 billion reduction from FY 25 levels.  As a member of both the House Budget and the Appropriations Committees, I plan to support this plan, and I’m committed to restoring fiscal sanity, so future generations aren’t crushed with more debt by Washington’s reckless spending.”

  1. Taking the Necessary Steps to Rein in Runaway Spending:

5

Watch HERE.

Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas): “I think what we’re lacking in Washington all around...is courage. Courage to do what is necessary. Courage to do what every generation of American leaders hasdone when facing such an epic crisis that could in fact leave America irreparably damaged. Not just the economy, not just crowding out our ability to fund our national priorities like defense, leaving us weaker and more vulnerable to the risks around the globe; but to actually undermine the reserve currency status, our global leadership—and most importantly as a father of three children, and I believe my Democrat colleagues feel the same way—robbing our children of the American promise, of the American dream, and the land of opportunities, and America as the dominant global influence. That’swhat’s at stake. That’s why we asked you all to come here. That’s why we have to have this conversation as we prepare for the 2026 budget cycle.”

  1. Extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

 

5

Watch HERE.

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.): “The TCJA reduced federal tax rates for households across every income level,while increasing the share of taxes paid by the top one percent. That’s the fact.And as many times as I hear that being contradicted, they can’t change the fact. And I believe it’s as important that we spend as much time talking about the truth as they spend trying to deceive the American public. The percentage decrease in effective tax rates was about 5 percent for the highest income groupand 16 percent for half of the Americans whose income is belowthe median. Essentially meaning high-income Americans paid a larger share of all taxes post-TCJA than pre-TCJA, and middle and low-income Americans paid a smaller share than before the TCJA. And I would encourage those folks that continue to contradict that to actually go and look at the numbers and not necessarily count on the headlinesto get their news.”

  1. Highlighting Congressional Democrats’ Hypocrisy:

5

Watch HERE.

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas): “It’s a little entertaining to hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about fiscal discipline whenever they’ve never seen a foreign country they don’t want to shower American tax dollars with. They’ve never seen an illegal alien that they don’t want to give amnesty and welfare to. They’ve never seen a left-wing organization that they don’t want to launder our tax dollars too. The only area they can ever agree on cutting is whenever the goal is to tear down our military, and now all of a sudden, they are the fiscal hawks of the House.”

 

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