I appreciate you reaching out to me regarding two of the biggest challenges facing our nation: the federal budget and out-of-control spending. As Florida's junior senator, it is my priority to confront these issues by reducing wasteful spending, eliminating duplicative and inefficient government programs, and working to ensure the solvency of entitlement programs. 

The United States government's exorbitant spending must stop. This year, our federal deficit will exceed $1.5 trillion. This is unsustainable and is why I opposed the budget "compromise" earlier this year. I have continued to fight against President Obama's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2012 and did not vote to raise the debt ceiling in August. The President and his administration have failed to take decisive action to cut our spending and curb our debt. The era of big government has driven us further into debt and we must take the necessary measures to reverse it. 

When the Democrat Party held both houses of Congress and the White House during the 111th Congress, a budget was not passed for Fiscal Year 2011. On Thursday April 14, 2011, both houses of Congress passed H.R. 1473, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, to continue funding the United States government through the current fiscal year. H.R. 1473 failed to address the deep-rooted issues our economy is facing, including a debt that rises significantly every day, massive spending and an unprecedented deficit and I voted against this bill. In order to achieve fiscal austerity, legislators on both sides of the aisle must recognize we can't afford to let another day pass without serious reform.

Beyond the current fiscal year, President Obama's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2012 falls far short of tackling our national debt in a serious way. Although we face a staggering deficit and an enormous national debt that exceeds $14 trillion, the President's proposal would add $9.5 trillion of new debt over the next decade. While the President insists he would take the commendable step of vetoing earmarks, his silence on entitlement reform, the absence of meaningful spending cuts and his reliance on anti-competitive tax increases will cause more economic uncertainty, stifle job creation and keep America on a path toward a diminished future. 

As you know, the Budget Control Act was approved by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama on August 2, 2011.  The Act raises the debt ceiling in two separate increments; an immediate increase of $400 billion, and a likely increase at a later date of $500 billion. It also puts into place a process for potential future debt ceiling increases. Unfortunately, the debt ceiling increases contained within the Budget Control Act were not accompanied by significant long-term reforms to our spending problem. I voted against this bill, which still adds more than $7 trillion to our national debt over the next 10 years. 

I have also cosponsored the One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011 (S.1316) introduced by Congressman Connie Mack and Senator Mike Enzi. The "Penny Plan" would cut total federal spending by one percent each year, balancing the budget, and reducing spending by $7.5 trillion over ten years.

Our fiscal problems today are due to decades of profligate spending by both parties. We have a job-crushing debt because Washington has repeatedly postponed the tough decisions for someone else to deal with down the road. The American people have every reason to be disappointed by the President's Federal budget and by Washington politicians who either don't understand the seriousness of our fiscal crisis, or who are simply not willing to confront this challenge. As Florida's junior Senator, I will keep your thoughts in mind as I work with my colleagues to enact a responsible budget that addresses the long term fiscal problems we face as a state and nation.