WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation today released the second of five animated shorts in a series called “Road Trip on a Budget,” produced in collaboration with Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. The series is aimed at educating Americans and raising awareness on Washington’s out-of-control spending with the goal of bringing the issue of fiscal responsibility back to the forefront.

 

Senator Rick Scott said, “The inflation we are seeing across the nation right now is the direct result of Washington’s wasteful spending. Inflation is a tax on America’s working families. Rising prices are devastating to low and fixed-income Americans. I grew up poor and watched my parents struggle to put food on the table. Instead of just hiking the debt ceiling every time Washington gets close to the limit, it’s time to start acting responsibly. With the debt ceiling expiring on July 31, we must tackle these issues head-on and chart a new and fiscally responsible path forward that protects families and our nation’s financial security.”

 

Matthew Dickerson, director of Heritage’s Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, thanked Scott for his partnership on the project:

 

“The importance of Congress exercising spending restraint instead of continuing down the path of seemingly endless, reckless federal spending cannot be understated. When the federal government grows beyond its proper limits, and spends and taxes too much, it stifles prosperity, infringes on liberty, and makes it more difficult to live the American dream.

 

“Thanks to Sen. Rick Scott’s leadership, more Americans will be able to learn about the dangers of big-government spending adding recklessly to the national debt.”

 

The Biden administration and Democrats have embraced exorbitant government spending in just a few short months in office and show no signs of slowing down. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, $2.7 trillion American Jobs Plan, and $1.8 trillion American Families Plan would all grow the federal government to unprecedented levels, inserting more government control into nearly every facet of American life. In addition, President Biden and congressional leaders have indicated they will soon adopt a budget resolution starting the reconciliation process that includes $3.5 trillion in new spending for every major, radical, socialist policy item that Biden has requested. These plans go far beyond traditional federal authority, and with them, comes the looming promise of tremendous debt that young people and generations to come will be responsible for paying back.

 

Click here to see the second video, which debuts today.

 

SCRIPT:

 

“We’ve made it to our first pit stop, but let’s not forget even the short trip to get here had its issues.

 

“Whether we make it to our final destination is still up in the air. For now, let’s use this stop to grab some popcorn and figure out how we got into this mess in the first place.

 

“We’re going to have to go back a bit. To the postwar era. U.S. government spending fell from $93 billion in 1945 to under $35 billion by 1947, and by 1947, the U.S. was running a budget surplus of close to 2% of GDP to pay off the debt.

 

“Great money management! But since that time, debt has been steadily rising. And it really started piling up in the mid-2000's.

 

“So how does the government decide how much debt is too much? By agreeing on something called the debt ceiling. But Congress just keeps voting to raise, or even totally suspend, the debt ceiling.

 

“That would be like you calling your bank and just upping your line of credit every time you were close to maxing out a credit card. Of course, the responsible thing to do would be to pay off your debt, not just hike the limit. Yet, that’s exactly what Washington does when faced with a debt problem.

 

“That’s not to say we are doomed forever, but it’s time to get this spending and debt under control to protect the future of this nation. So buckle back up, because we’re getting back on the road and we’re going to talk about why this all matters to YOU and your family.

 

“I’m Senator Rick Scott. Thanks for watching Road Trip on a Budget. Stay tuned to The Heritage Foundation’s social channels for more videos on America’s debt crisis and what we must do to put America back on a fiscally responsible path forward.”

 

More information on federal spending and the budget can be found here.