Cut spending, enact budget amendment

Washington seems to have forgotten that government money isn't "free," and it is the American taxpayers who support its spending habit. Simply put, the federal government doesn't respect your hard work, your discipline, your sacrifice and your unwavering commitment to self-reliance.

We must change that. The time to force accountability, leadership and respect is long past due, and a balanced budget amendment to the United States' Constitution may be the only solution.

A balanced budget amendment would force Washington politicians to exercise necessary fiscal restraint and better judgment when debating where and how to spend American taxpayers' dollars. The days of borrowing money and passing the debt onto our families and small businesses would be over, and Washington would be forced to live within its means, just like you and I.

The government should be doing a few things very well instead of a lot of things poorly. It should help give people peace of mind, but its insatiable appetite for spending does exactly the opposite. Our small businesses face uncertainty created by a government that funds its misadventures with borrowed money and higher taxes. This year alone, Washington borrowed 36 cents of every dollar it spent.

Washington's spending habit will rot our economic foundations to the core and destroy the American Dream as we know it. The government can't spend its way out of a recession but it can help create an environment of confidence and predictability that Nevada's job creators, workforce, and families are seeking.

Small businesses make hiring and expansion decisions based on predictability, but that seems lost on Washington. The way our government currently operates means that higher taxes, increasing debt, regulation and government expansion are just around the corner. A balanced budget amendment would restore faith in America's economy as investors, entrepreneurs and small business owners conclude that Washington is now serious about controlling its spending.

President Barack Obama has said the nation needs a "balanced approach" when addressing Washington's unsustainable spending. One only has to ask, "What is more balanced than a Balanced Budget Amendment?"

Forty-nine of 50 states have balanced budget requirements (Vermont is the lone exception) and a CNN poll shows that 74 percent of Americans support a Balanced Budget Amendment. This is not a partisan fight; this is a common sense solution to an undeniable problem that is plaguing our economy.

Still, there are those who oppose a balanced budget amendment because they believe Washington ought to be able to hold the line on spending. I wish we could trust that to happen, but over the last decade both parties have spent taxpayer dollars at unsustainable levels. It is time to change direction and move forward with an approach that will rescue our economy with real and lasting results.

With America's total debt exceeding our gross domestic product for the first time since World War II, we cannot afford to make this issue about politics. It must be about saving our economy and securing the future of our country for our children and grandchildren.

If we are to hold Washington accountable, we must also create a fair tax system. To do that we must close loopholes and rein in subsidies, because Nevada's families and small business owners shouldn't be forced to shoulder the burden of others. However, if we don't control Washington's spending first, creating a fair tax system won't matter because taxpayers will continually be asked to pay more. The simple truth is Washington's debt crisis materialized because government spends too much, not because it taxes too little.

The debate in Washington comes down to this: should we hold the government accountable or not?

We must seize this opportunity to change Washington's culture of deficit spending. We must pass a Balanced Budget Amendment.

Rep. Joe Heck, a Republican, represents Nevada's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.