Bob Barr Quotes

Now make no mistake, I think we need a strong dose of fiscal conservatism in Washington, D.C.

The goal is to reduce the size and scope of government spending, not to focus on the deficit. The deficit is the symptom of the disease.

I believe, as a matter of principle, that the debt is a problem that must be addressed sooner rather than later. I also know that fundamental changes are needed in the way Washington spends and taxes if we truly want a healthy economy. This must include changing our government's long-term fiscal path, which is unsustainable.

Not in the constitution, but I would propose a law to the French parliament that provides for reducing the budget deficit year by year, until we have reached a balanced budget by 2017.

We are worried about the size of the deficit, which is why the president is pleased that the House and Senate have followed his lead in cutting the deficit in half over the next five years.

When Bill Clinton was in town, he sent over a balanced budget.

Even with not having a balanced budget at this time, I support tax cuts. That will help limit spending.

While there are no easy solutions to this problem, the Deficit Reduction Act gets us started in the right direction by beginning with the most obvious, commonsense reforms to save taxpayer dollars.

Without deficit reduction, we cannot have sustained economic growth.

We give lip service to the importance of deficit reduction, but Americans oppose every single thing that you might do to reduce the deficit.

We still have a major problem in debt with America that we have to find efficiencies in government to get us back to a balanced budget.

It's much more powerful to say I'm working to reduce spending, deal with our nation's deficit, push back on the federal government, and give specifics for that rather than just say, 'I'm a conservative.'

As a Main Street businessman, I believe we need to reduce runaway federal spending and address our national debt and the MAP Act provides Congress with the tools to accomplish this goal.

I think America is strong enough to fix the problems, grace and honor to D.C. I think energy independence and control spending. We have to go to a balanced budget. Quite frankly, as far as our debt goes, I don't think you can tax your way out of it. I think people are taxed enough.

It's all right to agree or disagree on the balanced budget amendment. It's all right to talk about how we're going to appropriate.

In my political career, I'd like to see a constitutional balanced budget amendment.

We should reduce total government spending as a percentage of the economy. The left wants to focus on the deficit so they can take us away from the focus on spending as a percentage of the economy.

No one in the modern history of this country, no president, has done more to move toward a balanced budget than has President Bill Clinton.

Make no mistake: I will work with both Democrats and Republicans to cut wasteful spending and reduce our debt in a balanced, responsible way.

I came to Congress to help reduce spending.

It's time for the sensible center to rise up and push for a rational approach to our fiscal challenges.

You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt.

We have to reduce the burden placed on our economy by years of deficits and debt.

Look, I'm very much in favor of tax cuts, but not with borrowed money. And the problem that we've gotten into in recent years is spending programs with borrowed money, tax cuts with borrowed money, and at the end of the day that proves disastrous. And my view is I don't think we can play subtle policy here.

If you ask people do you think that government should spend less money than what it takes in, most people agree with that.