Under President Obama, the national debt has increased by $6 trillion. By the time young people - known in many discussions as “millennials” - reach retirement are, the debt will be nearly 250% of our country’s GDP.
In a special opinion piece in Politico, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Adam Kinzinger, and Aaron Schock share their thoughts on why the path we’re on is “unacceptable and unsustainable”.
Millennials Fight For Future With Own War on Debt
By Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and Rep. Aaron Schock
Politico
Last week, in one of the liveliest and most thought-provoking conversations we’ve had in this Capitol, we sat around the table with a group of young people who care deeply about solving our nation’s debt crisis. These “millennials” — representing myriad socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, college campuses and political persuasions — all want the same things: a solution to our national debt. A reduction in the out-of-control spending they’ll be forced to pay back one day. And an acknowledgment that if Congress keeps kicking the can down the road, then they will kick right back.
And that is exactly what they have done. They came to Capitol Hill with suggestions, solutions and an eagerness to get involved in an issue that disproportionately affects their generation. Representing several organizations — The Can Kicks Back/Fix the Debt, National Campus Leadership Council, Common Sense Action, Concerned Youth of America, and Public Notice/Bankrupting America — they addressed the impact of the national debt on their generation and how Washington’s spending problem today will hurt America’s youth tomorrow.
We heard from one woman who recently graduated from college — eager and excited about the opportunities before her — only to be told that she should expect no less than five years of unemployment. A young man with a 2-year-old daughter told us that he is already afraid he won’t be able to put her through college. And a University of Maryland sophomore said she can’t afford to go to graduate school for fear of being saddled with even more debt than she is right now.
Unfortunately, their challenges are not unique and their experiences are not uncommon. These young people are the next generation of American leaders — they’re college students, campus leaders, budding entrepreneurs, future economists, innovators, scientists, nurses, business leaders and doctors. But a major obstacle stands in their way: the national debt. It’s more than just a $16 trillion price tag. It’s more than just a number that continues to rise under President Barack Obama. It’s a threat to the future of our children and grandchildren. In fact, when asked recently to identify the greatest threat to our national security, Adm. Mike Mullen, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cited our national debt.
Read the entire article here.
