Bean: Why I voted in favor of Fiscal Responsibility Act

Everyone loves a winner. They love seeing someone reach for the stars and get everything they want. The phrase, “If you don’t try, you can never succeed,” comes to mind. It’s important, life-changing. My eight siblings and I grew up living that principle – passed down from our parents. And today, and every day, I look back on my childhood and draw inspiration from those life-altering words.

My father, Red, was a WWII Purple Heart recipient who came ashore at Normandy during Operation Overlord. While in France, he was wounded by enemy gunfire but survived. He later returned home to attend Western Kentucky University on the GI Bill. That’s where he met my mother, Joan. At WKU, Dad joined the football team and quickly caught the attention of NFL recruits with his athleticism and skill.

After graduating, he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime to try out for the Chicago Bears. As a football fan, I can’t imagine the excitement he must have felt at the chance to play in the NFL! But he was also offered a teaching job and assistant football coach position at Fernandina Beach High School in Florida. As a husband and father, he had a choice to make.

Teaching was a sure thing, but in football there are no guarantees. So, dad went with the sure thing. I spent many years thinking about that great opportunity before realizing it wasn’t right. When my parents loaded everything they owned in a borrowed station wagon and started a new life in Florida, they never dreamed of the impact that one decision could have on their lives and the Fernandina Beach community. As teachers, my parents touched the lives of countless children who grew up to be visionaries, leaders, and world changers. That one decision had a lasting impact that reached far beyond my parents and our family.

Like my father must have felt, I want to take that tryout. I want to go for everything and get that seemingly huge win. I want every possible spending reduction and all the conservative policies that Republicans have been fighting for this Congress.

Governing in a divided government is not easy – people have different priorities – that’s negotiation. I am here in Congress because you gave me the honor to take on tough battles and make bold choices.

President Biden refused to negotiate for 97 days, and we were presented with only three options: raise the debt ceiling without any meaningful spending changes, default on America’s obligations, or the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Candidly, I hate that our negotiated debt ceiling agreement doesn’t go far enough, but at some point, you are in a situation like my parents, and you take the sure thing.

American people want, need, and deserve a sensible solution to address our soaring national debt. But to change the trajectory, we need to change how Washington operates. In other words, it’s time to load up the station wagon and make a decision that puts us on a different path – the Fiscal Responsibility Act. This bill isn’t perfect, but it does represent a bold first step in the right direction to get our fiscal house in order and revive the American Dream.

That’s why I voted in favor of American history’s largest spending reduction package. We are cutting $2.1 trillion from the federal budget, and for the first time in over a decade, Congress will spend less money next year than this year. But that’s not all.

This bill includes permitting reforms, so we can build roads, bridges, and pipelines faster to get America moving again. By simplifying the process, we will produce more oil and natural gas to restore our energy independence. We will get Americans back to work by enacting new work requirements for able-bodied adults on welfare. We will claw back $28 billion in unspent COVID funds and increase funding for our national security and defense priorities. And we are doing all of this without raising taxes.

You sent me to Washington to reduce government spending, which remains my top priority. There is plenty more work to be done, and as we work to build on these structural policies, you can be confident that I’m committed to the fight.