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Air Date: July 18, 2011

Host: Jim Schneider

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Jim began this edition of Crosstalk by asking why it’s “news” that President Obama went to church when that should be the norm.

Perhaps the president was praying for a solution to our nation’s economic woes because as of broadcast time, the national debt was over 14 trillion dollars. With that in mind, just what are our legislators doing to solve this massive problem?

The House of Representatives, led by Chairman Paul Ryan, did vote to put the government on the path to a budget surplus by 2040 and plans to vote on a balanced budget amendment tomorrow, a vote that would cap federal spending at 18% of GDP.

President Obama, on the other hand, says we don’t need a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and blames America’s fiscal problem on Bush-era tax cuts.

Should Republicans and Democrats vote to raise the debt ceiling? Should Congress pass the plan of Senator Mitch McConnell that would give the president unilateral authority to raise the debt limit? Do you believe that the president or legislators are purposely trying to bankrupt America out of existence? Do you support a balanced budget amendment? These are questions that Jim posed to listeners who called in with their opinions.

More Information

To contact your elected representatives regarding America’s burgeoning debt crisis, call:

The Capitol Hill Switchboard
202-225-3121
202-224-3121