(The Center Square) – U.S Rep. Bob Good engaged in a fiery exchange Thursday with President Joe Biden’s budget director over her refusal to answer questions about how the administration’s fiscal 2025 budget proposal would affect taxpayers and the national debt.
Addressing Shalanda Young, director of the Office Management and Budget, at a House Budget Committee hearing, Good noted that Biden’s 2025 budget proposal exceeds spending and tax increases in the current record-breaking budget. Good, R-Virginia, stated that this new budget proposal amounts to more than $4 trillion in additional spending and $5 trillion in additional taxes on the American public.
The congressman called attention to the $34 trillion national debt, noting that the debt has been increasing by $1 trillion every 100 days.
“What will the debt per taxpayer be by the end of the president’s projected 10-year budget?” Good asked.
Young struggled to produce responses that satisfied Good’s line of questioning, answering that citizens are not “taxed for debt” and that the national debt is cumulative.
Good asked again for the Biden administration’s projected national debt over the next 10 years of its proposed budget.
“I just want a dollar. I don’t want an explanation, just a dollar,” Good said.
“Well, you’re going to hear my answer,” Young snapped.
“Then I’m going to reclaim my time,” Good interjected, “It’s $52 trillion dollars.”
The congressman asked Young how much the projected debt increase would cost the average American.
“So if you take the $52 trillion, divide by 350 million Americans, about how much per citizen is that?” Good inquired.
“Mr. Good, that is a false narrative. It is a false narrative,” the budget director responded.
The two engaged in a testy exchange of words in which Young refused to answer Good’s questions and accused him of attempting to push an inaccurate “narrative.”
“Let me answer the question for you. It’s $150,000 per citizen is what the president is projecting,” Good said.
The congressman said the potential tax burden incurred by the Biden administration’s proposed budget “equates to about $400,000 per household.”
“We have never had this level of debt in history,” Good continued.
Good pondered if the debt would stymie America’s response to hypothetical crises such as a third world war or health pandemic. Visibly irritated, Young argued that the country is already managing several global crises.
“Mr. Good, are we not in a crisis situation now with what’s going on in Ukraine, what’s going on in the Middle East?” Young responded.
The congressman argued that the ballooning national debt and southern border crisis are more important issues for the American people than the war between Ukraine and Russia. He asserted that the Biden administration prioritizes the fate of Ukrainians more than domestic concerns such as controlling illegal immigration.
Good stated that Biden’s spending and borrowing habits contribute to elevated inflation, “under which the American people are suffering.”
“Does he understand the impact, again, of his spending, his borrowing, his printing, his debt, that’s causing the Bidenflation, under which American people are suffering? Does he understand that?” Good asked.
Originally published by The Center Square. Republished with permission.
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