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Senate resolution urges congressional action on federal debt and deficits
Summary
Senate Joint Resolution 9 urges Congress and state leaders to address rising federal debt and debt service. Sponsor testified at committee hearing about debt growth and potential economic consequences; supporters called for a fiscal wake-up.
Senator Tom McGillivray opened a hearing on Senate Joint Resolution 9 by urging state legislatures and Congress to confront what he called an urgent federal debt and deficit problem. The sponsor described a multidecade rise in federal debt and warned that rapidly increasing interest costs could crowd out other public spending.
“The debt currently now stands at about 36,500,000,000,000.0,” the sponsor said during his opening remarks, adding that the nation is “on pace right now for 2,000,000,000,000, for the fiscal year that we're in now.” He argued that rising debt service already consumes a large share of government revenue and warned of long-term economic effects, including inflationary pressure and the risk that future generations could face military conflict to protect diminished resources.
Proponents who called in or testified in person supported the resolution as a statement to the nation’s congressional delegation. Eric Pence (online) and commenters from Billings urged the committee to send a “stern message” to federal leaders. Witnesses framed the measure as a nonbinding appeal to policy makers in Washington and other states rather than binding fiscal policy.
Committee members asked questions but the hearing produced no formal action. The sponsor closed by reiterating the resolution’s intent to send a message urging federal fiscal restraint.
