As the November elections approach, much attention is focused on the presidential race, but the race to decide who controls Congress is at least as important.

That’s because Congress controls federal government taxation and spending.

“Congress shall have power to levy taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, and to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.” the constitution says. (Related: Paul Teller: Republicans shouldn’t shy away from fighting over spending)

“No funds may be withdrawn from the Treasury except as a result of appropriations by law.” it says.

In his commentary on the U.S. Constitution, published in 1833, Quoted in Founding Constitution website, Justice Joseph’s story You did a good job of explaining the purpose of this clause.

“The object is obvious after a little examination.” I wrote a story. “Because all taxes collected from the people, like revenue derived from other sources, should be appropriated for spending, debt forgiveness, and other government activities, Congress should not the power to decide when and how funds are used for these purposes.

“Otherwise, the executive branch would have unlimited power over the nation’s public funds, and it might use all the resources it gets with that money to suit its own preferences,” he said. I wrote it.

“In an arbitrary government, a prince takes as much money as he pleases from his subjects and disposes of it as he sees fit, with no accountability or rebuke,” Storey wrote. “In a republic it is wise to impose all restrictions as legitimately belonging to the common defense and general welfare, so that the common fund of all, the treasury, may legitimately be subject to such objects. It should be applied with the utmost integrity.”

How has Congress handled this responsibility in recent decades?

In 1994, when Congress faced midterm elections During President Bill Clinton’s first term, Republicans were competing with Democrats. gained control of the House of Commons In every election since 1954. In late September 1994, then-House Minority Whip led by Newt Gingrich Republican House members and candidates are working to create what they call “their own.”contract with america”

“The deal is a list of tried-and-true Republican agenda items, including welfare reform, tax cuts, term limits and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, a list calculated to maximize voter appeal.” Associated Press reported.

It was. That year, Republicans won majorities in both houses of Congress.

January 26, 1995 House Republicans raised A proposed constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.

This amendment is gave an official summary“Prohibits total expenditures for a fiscal year from exceeding total revenues unless three-fifths of the members of each Congress, by roll call vote, provide by law for a specified excess of expenditures over revenues.”

It also “establishes a permanent limit on the amount of the public debt; prohibits any increase in such amount unless approved by a three-fifths majority of each chamber by roll call vote.”

“And I direct the President to submit a balanced budget.”

Then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey gave a floor speech Explain why this fix is ​​necessary.

“Today, each of our children carries $18,300 in federal debt.” army said.

“Now is a time when, if we do nothing, by the time they reach adolescence they and their children will have to face the even more frightening possibility that by the time they reach adolescence, they and their children will be in even worse debt. There is,” he said. also share it. ”

Mr. Armie was right. And majorities in both houses of Congress agreed with Army.

the house The vote was 300 to 132. Approve a balanced budget amendment on that day. The 228 Republicans who voted yes were joined by 72 Democrats, giving it the two-thirds vote needed to move forward.

The bill then went to the Senate, where, on March 2, 1995, a Republican defector blocked the bill from being sent to the states for ratification. It was Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon. Biography on the Senate website“He was the only Republican vote “no” on the Republican-backed Balanced Budget Amendment, but ultimately fell one vote short of passing it.”

The day Hatfield blocked balanced budget amendmentAccording to the Treasury Department, the federal debt was $4,851,006,718,917.40.debt to penny” Web page. As of October 18 of this year, it was $35,769,732,147,503 and 35 cents.

This is more than a seven-fold increase in less than 30 years.

According to 2020 Censusthere were 73,106,000 individuals under the age of 18 in the United States. The federal debt of $35,769,732,147,503.35 equates to approximately $489,286 for each of these young Americans.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, working with Congress, where Republicans control the House and Democrats control the Senate, the federal government spent $6,751,552 million in fiscal year 2024, the report said. monthly financial report For September. At the same time, it collected taxes of $4,918,736 million, resulting in a deficit of $1,832,816 million.

The federal government spent $6,751,552 million in fiscal year 2024, an increase of $2,304,941 million, or 51.8%, from $4,446,611 million. it was spent 2019 before corona.

What comes next? “CBO currently projects that if current law remains largely unchanged from 2025 to 2034, the cumulative deficit will be $22.1 trillion,” the official said. Congressional Budget Office Report Released in June.

America needs Congress to stop this.

Terrence P. Jeffrey is an investigative editor at the Daily Caller News Foundation. To learn more about Terrence P. Jeffrey and read features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website. www.creators.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.