Kevin McCarthy Quotes

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.

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

The real goal should be reduced government spending, rather than balanced budgets achieved by ever rising tax rates to cover ever rising spending.

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.

We have to deal with two issues. Spending and taxes.

Taxes are forever; spending cuts are transitory.

I'm coming to Washington, D.C., to do the people's work. And the people's work has to do with reducing spending and cutting budgets and, and trying to get a grip on the size of government.

I came to Congress to help reduce spending.

As a fiscal conservative, I think that our government should pay for itself.

The problem is government spends too much. So raising taxes is what politicians do, instead of reducing spending.

If you could bring to me a majority of people to say that we're going to have $10 of spending cuts for $1 of revenue enhancement, put me in, coach.

If we increase spending, we have got to raise taxes or any combination.

Governments harangue about deficits to get more revenue so they can spend more.

Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.

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.

Memo to Congress: America's problem is not that government is too small. It's the spending, stupid!

People try to live within their income so they can afford to pay taxes to a government that can't live within its income.

I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it was the first time we had done it since man walked on the moon. We had a $5 trillion surplus and we cut taxes.

Look, I am not worried about Washington cutting too much spending too fast. I mean, the kinds of spending cuts we're talking about just right now are $100 billion out of a $3.7 trillion budget.

The only way you can raise the debt ceiling is to change the trajectory of spending - that's my personal preference. But I want the Ways and Means Committee to offer up a solution.

First of all, I don't like to speak about austerity. I'd prefer to speak of fiscal discipline. Fiscal discipline, in the end, amounts to austerity if it is not accompanied by other policies.

If you raise taxes, it won't reduce the deficit. The other team will simply spend the resources.

I think you're going to see a number of Democrats that do want to see us grapple with spending.

Government spending clearly needs some adjusting. But a budget is a statement of our priorities, and balancing our spending on the backs of our nation's seniors is not the right approach.

Most of the major increases in the debt ceiling have been accompanied by structural changes in the way we raise and spend money.