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It was this past Tuesday when I received an email from our congressman, Jack Bergman.
That's not unusual. I get quite a few from him, because I signed up to receive them.
But that one was about a topic I have written about for the past 20 years: the national debt.
The headline of his email was, "Bergman, Budget Members Sound the Alarm on CBO Budget Baseline." The CBO, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, had just released its 10-year forecast on "America's fiscal trajectory."
Bergman points out our current $34 trillion debt will grow by another $20 trillion in the next 10 years to a "staggering $54.4 trillion." He added that, "unless we take immediate, decisive action to address Washington's spending problem, our fiscal descent might become a crash landing."
Bergman also included quotes from other Budget Committee members.
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, said "we need to rein-in the bloated federal bureaucracy."
Congressman Rudy Yakym, chair of the House Budget Committee Budget Process Reform Task Force, said "the long-term outlook is another flashing red warning sign."
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, chair of the House Budget Committee Health Care Task Force, said "reckless executive spending has put our country in unsustainable debt."
Congressman Ralph Norman said "$52.4 TRILLION by 2033 ... That is an insurmountable number."
Congressman Blake Moore said "our out-of-control spending on net interest is unsustainable."
Congressman Josh Brecheen said "the CBO baseline shows that Congress is still in need of serious reforms in order to solve America's debt crisis."
Congressman Chuck Edwards said "we must continue to take every opportunity to improve our fiscal trajectory before it's too late."
Congressman Lloyd Smucker said "the Congressional Budget Office's latest report should be a wakeup call to all about the state of our nation's finances."
The one thing that parties have in common is that they have both been adding unsustainable debt to the American people since the year 2000, 24 years ago.
Another thing in Bergman's email quotes was that all but one of the congressmen blamed Joe Biden's administration for the ongoing problem.
But history tells a different story.
We have been told the Republicans are the fiscal hawks, in favor of balanced budgets and reining in the national debt, right? Well, words are one thing, actions are another.
I took a look at the last 24 years.
Since Congress is in charge of the country's budget, let's see how the Republicans and Democrats do when they respectively hold the reins of Congress. Since 2000, the Republicans controlled Congress 16 years and added $17.2 trillion to our debt. In the same time period, Democrats were in charge for eight years and added $11.5 trillion to the debt. So the parties -- regardless of who controls Congress -- averaged more than $1.1 trillion of additional debt per year.
Folks, this should be the number-one issue in this year's election, regardless of whether a person is running for president, the House, or the Senate.
But it's not.
Biden is out there talking about smaller potato chip bags, and Donald Trump is talking about not defending NATO countries who are behind on their dues.
Now, I appreciate Rep. Bergman bringing the debt to our attention, and I am sure his votes on budgets are conservative, but I looked at the 63 bills he introduced in the current congressional session and don't see one that addresses the national debt or overspending.
So, again, I am reminded of that old saying: "Actions speak louder than words."
But there is a comment in the email from Yakym that pretty much sums up what Congress is ignoring. He said: "We need to continue to stand firm on restoring fiscal responsibility, otherwise we risk being the first generation to pass off a country that is less free and prosperous than the one we inherited."
I think that horse has already left the barn. Today, Congress and this generation are leaving our children and grandchildren a $34 trillion debt that the CBO is forecasting will grow to $54 trillion in the next 10 years. How will it be possible for those kids to pay for the government they want and need when they will be saddled with a lifetime of paying off the government we wanted?
The above-mentioned Congressman Norman added this to his comments: "As a grandfather of 17, I think about the future state of our fiscal house every day. The rampant, careless, overspending by Washington politicians over the decades, combined with the complete & total unwillingness for today's Congress to get this crisis under control means dark times are surely ahead for our nation."
We seem to have too many crises these days. Immigration, inflation, foreign wars to name a few.
But there is the national debt crisis that looms over us like a pending earthquake. Right now, we are feeling the tremors, watching our fiscal seismograph that is continually warning us of the coming disaster, which, if left unchecked, will crush America in a fashion never before seen.
Rep. Bergman was wise to warn us, but, as I said, actions speak louder than words.
This needs to be Congress's rallying cry and the number-one issue of every single congressional representative running for reelection.
Am I just another "Chicken Little," shouting that the sky is falling? Or am I right to bring up a call to action immediately?
Let me know at gregawtry@awtry.com.