Washington Democrats have a secret they don’t want to share: just how much of your hard-earned tax dollars they want to spend.

Having already spent $2 trillion this year and aiming for another $4.3 trillion before year’s end, they got cold feet about putting a price tag on the rest of their plans.

That’s why they wanted to suspend the nation’s statutory debt limit through December 2022.  Republicans in Congress, myself included, rightly refused to go along.  

Democrats have all the levers of power in Washington.  Rather than work across the aisle, they advanced a partisan and bloated spending package under the guise of COVID-19 aid in March.  Now they are trying to do it again with their massive reconciliation bill aimed at fundamentally changing our country.  

If they want to continue their hyper-partisan spending spree, it is incumbent on them to put a price tag on how those plans will impact our national debt.

Faced with that reality and unable to find another way out of their latest self-created crisis, Washington Democrats opted for a short-term extension to get through December 3.  I opposed that measure.

Now Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and President Joe Biden are back at square one on how to finance their spending plans.  Some of the ideas being floated are outright absurd.

One group would abolish the debt limit altogether.  Another wants to pass the responsibility on to the Treasury Department so Congress no longer has to take the tough votes.  

Some have proposed using a 1997 law to allow the Secretary of the Treasury to mint unlimited $1 trillion coins to bypass the debt limit.

The Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY), even suggested, “raising the debt limit to gazillion dollars,” in hopes the national debt never gets that high and Congress never has to vote on it again.

The reckless spending coming out of Washington is already making it harder for working families to make ends meet.  Gas prices are up in all 50 states and we're all paying more to put food on our table.  With wages unable to keep up, it's a hidden tax on all Americans.

Rather than bypassing the debt limit, Congress should use it to have an honest conversation, put a price tag on the Biden agenda, and acknowledge what it means for this country.

This week's edition of Buddy's Briefing comes to you from the United States Military Academy at West Point:

Click here to watch Buddy's Briefing

Monday, October 11, 2021:  On Saturday, I had a live interview on Newsmax along with my good friend, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) to discuss the Democrats raising of the debt ceiling and their $3.5 trillion socialist wish list infrastructure plan. A link to my interview can be found here.  

On Sunday, I visited the Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex in Savannah to see the TOPSoccer practice.  This great program is a community-based training and team placement program sponsored by Broughton Partners, that is for young athletes with disabilities.  I was invited by my good friend, Cason Carter, to witness first-hand how this program brings the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any child with a disability.  On Sunday night, I traveled down to St. Simons Island to attend the Hunt Ball, a charity event to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County.  This morning, I’m back in Glynn County where I speak to the State Council of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers.  After a great meeting where we discuss issues currently before Congress, I head back to Savannah and to the Savannah Country Club on Wilmington Island where I participate in the annual Folds of Honor Golf Tournament to benefit families who have lost a member of the military in service to our country. This year’s guest of honor is Colleen O’Hare, whose 3 children were all under the age of 5 when her husband, Navy Lt. Col Raymond O’Hare, was killed in a training maneuver in 2000. Folds of Honor helped put all 3 of her children through college by providing scholarships for Gold Star families.  

Tuesday, October 12, 2021: Although we were scheduled for a district work week, the Speaker has called us back to Washington for a vote tonight on raising the debt limit that is set to expire on October 18th.  After arriving back today, I join in on our all staff conference call and later have a virtual interview with The Current to discuss the LCP/Honeywell superfund site in Brunswick and the legislation I have proposed calling for more public input on superfund settlements.  After a vote to adjourn is defeated, the vote to raise the debt ceiling by $480 billion to carry the federal government through December 3rd is passed by a partisan majority with no Republican votes.  

Wednesday, October 13, 2021: After spending less than 20 hours in Washington, I’m back in the District this afternoon and head to our Savannah District Office where I have a conference call with Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Coastal Health District Director, Dr. Lawton Davis, to discuss the COVID situation in our area.  Although we are not out of the woods yet, the situation has improved and the number of cases is trending downwards.  Next, I have a conference call with Liberty Regional CEO Tammy Mims for an update on their COVID status. Like all hospitals in the FirstDistrict and throughout the state and country, staffing is a challenge. My next call is with Dr. Stephen Thacker with Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah where numbers are trending in the right direction but staffing remains an issue.  My final call of the day is a virtual call with members of the World Shipping Council to discuss supply chain issues including the cargo backlog currently being experienced in the U.S. and the Shipping Act changes proposed in the Garamendi/Johnson Ocean Shipping Reform Act. 

Thursday, October 14, 2021: This morning, I continue with calls to hospitals in the District with a series of calls to Bacon County Hospital CEO Cindy Turner, Wayne Memorial Hospital CEO Joe Ierardi, Southeast Georgia Health System CEO Michael Scherneck, Ware County Memorial CEO Bobby McCollough and Clinch Memorial CEO Angela Ammons.  As has been the case with other hospitals in the District, the number of COVID cases is trending downwards and staffing is a challenge that will only be exasperated by the vaccine mandate.  Afterwards, I waive onto an Energy and Commerce (E&C) Consumer Protection and Commerce (CPC) Subcommittee hearing on legislation to strengthen manufacturing and competitiveness in the U.S.  A link to my questions can be found here.  Later in the afternoon, I head to the airport for my first visit to the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point.  

Friday, October 15, 2021: What an honor to be on campus of the premier military academy in the world.  I am assisted on campus by LTC (P) Brandon Thompson, from Jacksonville, FL, who is a 2001 graduate of USMA and received a MS from Georgia Tech in 2010, and Protocol Action Officer Ms. Erica Kennner who is from Atlanta.  My visit starts with a meeting at Taylor Hall where I receive a command brief from COL Mark Weathers, Chief of Staff, a 1997 USMA graduate who is from Chattanooga, TN.  Next, I am led on a tour of the beautiful campus by LTC David Siry, a 1994 USMA graduate who is the Director of the Center for Oral History at West Point.  Among the areas that we visit are Trophy Point, Cadet Mess, Cadet Chapel and the West Point Cemetery.  LTC Siry’s knowledge of the history of this campus is amazing and his stories, particularly of the many alumni interred at West Point Cemetery, is fascinating.  At lunch, I witness one of the many wonderful traditions at USMA as I witness the Cadet formation at the Cadet Mess.  Once inside, I head to the Poop deck where I am introduced to the 4,400 cadets during announcements and greet them with the traditional “Go Army” battle cry to which they respond in unison “Beat Navy.”  The cheers and cries afterwards bring me goose bumps.  Afterwards, I am honored to have lunch with 8 Cadets including Bliss Hutchings, Lachlan Holt, Graham Hendrickson and Vince Nguyen all who I had the honor of nominating from our District. After a great visit, I head to Washington Hall where I visit the most impressive West Point Simulation Center that supports cadet training and education, as well as tenant unit and staff/faculty training. After a great visit, I sit in on a Political Science class in Thayer Hall taught by Captain Adam Barsuhn, another USMA graduate. The topic of the class today is the Great Power Competition and the Cold War.  I am thoroughly impressed by the knowledge and eagerness of the cadets participating in this class.  My final stop of a bucket list visit is a tour of the Visitors Center where I learn more about the rich history of this great American institution.