I am an austere president.
I am a deficit hawk.
We are the ones that are trying to get Washington spending under control so it can live within its means.
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.
Households and businesses cut expenses every day. Passing a financial down payment alongside the debt limit sends the right message to the public, and gives members of Congress greater comfort, or cover, depending on your perspective.
The message from the United States and Europe is that governments must live within their means.
Today is the day for the complaining to end and for statesmanship to begin. Today I am taking action to cut state spending and balance the budget this year.
I am a fiscal conservative.
The harsh reality is that we simply cannot tax our way out of our overspending and debt problem. We need a balanced approach that includes both a stronger economy to generate new tax revenues and bipartisan guardrails, which will help ensure that future presidents and congresses spend within our means.
