By Gil Gutknecht, U.S. Representative

There’s still a market for fiscal conservatism in America. Look no further than the example set by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. By slowing growth rates and making difficult, but important, cuts, he was able to balance the state budget without raising state taxes. Those of us in Washington could follow this model.

There has been a lot of talk lately about growing federal deficits. Deficits are projected to grow to a whopping $521 billion next year. I am greatly concerned with the deficit and the impact it may have on our economy and Minnesota families. One way to get serious about reducing these deficits is to slow government growth. There is no reason that the federal budget should grow at a faster rate than the family budget.

According to the House Budget Committee, federal spending grew at a rate of 3 percent from 1994-2001, the formative years of the Republican revolution. Since 2001, that growth rate has more than doubled to 6.4 percent. It seems that we’ve lost our way.

To put this into perspective, at 6.4 percent, a household income of $40,000 in 2001 would have grown to $48,182 today. Most families haven’t seen that kind of growth in their household income.

A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office (the official bean counters of the Congress) shows government spending is the second leading contributor to the deficit. Washington now spends more than $20,000 per household. Adjusted for inflation, spending is the highest since WWII. This is unsustainable.

It seems some of my colleagues think they’re playing with Monopoly money. Unfortunately, Washington is playing with our children and grandchildren’s futures.

Budgets are about setting priorities. Hard working Minnesota families have to live within their budgets. Congress does not always live by the same standard.

I’ve often said that there is one certain truth about government: it will be paid for. It will be either by us, or by our children and grandchildren…with interest. It is immoral for us to pass our debt on to future generations.

Two recent votes illustrate my point.

First, I voted against the recent “omnibus appropriations bill,” which included seven appropriations bills totaling a staggering $820 billion. Although there were many good provisions in this bill, I could not support legislation as part of a budget package that increases spending for fiscal year 2004 by more than 10 percent. I asked myself whether the massive spending increases included in the bill were affordable. My answer was “No!”

Another example was the Medicare bill. I could not support legislation that does little to reduce prescription drug costs for consumers and will cost more than $400 billion over the next 10 years. In fact, the Administration’s latest estimate has already increased this price tag by $130 billion. The Administration and Congressional leaders ignored cost-saving attempts such as allowing American consumers access to affordable pharmaceuticals abroad.

This bill, while laudable in intention, is woefully inefficient and portends massive spending increases. Worse, every dollar spent to support this new entitlement will be borrowed from our children.

I ran for Congress believing that our first obligation is to provide a better future for generations to come. Sadly, we have gone astray. It’s time for us to reign in wasteful Washington spending and get back on course. It’s not a game. It’s not Monopoly money. It’s our children’s future.

(Rep. Gil Gutknecht is chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry; a member of the Budget Committee; and vice chairman of the Science Committee.)