Increasing our water supply and investing in Valley communities are critical to renewing our economy. However, long-term and sustainable growth also relies on getting our nation’s fiscal house in order.

Today, the national debt is approaching $20 trillion dollars, which is approximately $61,350 per U.S. citizen, and ensuring a robust 21st century U.S. economy will require Congress to get our fiscal house in order. As a co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, I will continue supporting fiscally sustainable policies that will grow our Valley and U.S. economy.

Just as no single reason led to the deep deficits now facing our country, there are no silver bullets or quick fixes to getting our country back on track. Putting our fiscal house in order will take hard work and tough decisions. This means reviewing and terminating unnecessary federal programs; ending expensive policies that encourage companies to ship American jobs overseas; and eliminating so much of the fraud, waste, and abuse draining our government’s resources.

As Americans, we must be honest about our long-term economic obligations and work together to get the job done. To learn more about some of the measures I have supported to help increase accountability and fiscal responsibility, you can visit the Blue Dog website here.