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job is the opportunity to travel the state and meet voters face-to-face. It gives me the chance to hear people's frustrations and hopes and to talk about common sense solutions to problems facing the state and the nation. In my recent town hall meetings, I spoke to folks from both sides of the river about a number of issues, but concern over our mounting national debt was always one of the first topics of conversation.
• The spending habits of the national government are in stark contrast to what South Dakotans see as responsible and expect of their own finances. In order to equal the irresponsibility coming from Washington, every family in this state would have to spend $26,000 a year outside of their ability to pay. It seems unbelievable to most of us in the state that there are politicians who don't take an honest stand against the runaway spending and that far too many of them are unashamedly cheering it on!
• Part of the problem is that so much of the national budget automatically renews every year with no changes, no cuts and no accountability. Without real reform, the percentage of our spending on these programs will continue to rise, the debt will continue to grow and foreign nations like China will continue to be the financiers of an even larger part of our debt.
• Difficult choices need to be made. Change may bring a little pain now, but this pain will prevent our children and grandchildren from paying a much higher price for this generation's excesses. South Dakotans know that it's time for some old fashioned, Midwestern wisdom to come to bear and help straighten out our nation's financial challenges before it's too late. As the lone representative for South Dakota in the House, I will continue to push that brand of wisdom at every turn. And I'll need your help.
• If you were unable to come to one of my town hall meetings, I'd love to hear from you. Please reach out to one of my offices and let me know what you think about what's happening in the nation's capital and how we can best serve your interests and the interests of South Dakota. There are plenty of issues, including this one, that I'd like your opinion on, not only for me, but also for my colleagues in Congress. You can contact any of my offices: Aberdeen: 262-2862, Watertown: 878-2868, Sioux Falls: 275-2868, Rapid City: 791-4653, Washington, D.C.: 202-225-2801, Toll-Free: 1-855-225-2801.
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