The Knoxville congressman appeared on WBIR’s “Inside Tennessee” this Sunday.
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — The federal government’s messy balance sheet and troubled air travel system are just two of the things East Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett talked about on WBIR’s “Inside Tennessee” Sunday. theme.
While it’s not sexy, the Knoxville native said the country’s most pressing problem is its continued issuance of massive amounts of debt while failing to rein in spending. Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department warned that the U.S. had once again hit its borrowing limit — about $31.4 trillion.
Without adjustments, the county will run out of cash on hand. June could be crunch time—the month when the debt ceiling must be addressed.
Notably, Congress passed a $1.7 billion fiscal bill in December, ensuring that federal spending would continue no matter what.
In the past, Congress has repeatedly raised the amount of debt the U.S. can issue, allowing the government to continue operating.
Republicans now narrowly control the U.S. House of Representatives after the November election, with some emboldened lawmakers poised to take on Biden’s White House.
Burchett, a Republican, said he was ready for a confrontation.
“The truth is, we’re going to have to fix this at some point,” he said. “We just keep kicking the can down the road. It’s just, we’ve seen this runaway inflation over the last few years. And we’re going to see more of it.”
If the rest of the world fears that the United States will default on its debts, then the real danger for Americans arises. This will shake up financial markets.
Burchett is also now a majority member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He said the U.S. air travel system is chaotic and airlines are largely to blame.
Airline lobbyists have too much influence on Capitol Hill, Burchett said, and the airlines that millions of travelers depend on each year aren’t accountable for the way they do business.
The congressman, a former Knox County mayor who first was elected to a state House seat almost 30 years ago, also said he opposed giving any more military aid or money to Ukraine. He said Russia was a paper tiger.
Burchett also addressed his new appointment to the high-profile, and inevitably controversial, House Oversight and Accountability Committee. Its chairman, James Comer of Kentucky, has vowed to explore every aspect of the Biden family, which he asserts has benefited Joe Biden’s political career over the years.
This board is sure to be a favorite among Fox News and Newsmax pundits. Its members include Republicans Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Green, Lauren Boebert and Paul Gosar.
Green and Gosar were previously stripped of their committee duties when Democrats took control of the House in the last Congress.
You can watch the full interview on WBIR on Sunday, January 22 at 9:30 am.
