As a candidate for Congress from Mississippi’s 4th District, I am deeply concerned about the federal budget and the runaway spending that threatens our nation’s future. Our national debt now exceeds $38.5 trillion—with interest payments alone becoming one of the fastest-growing expenses in the budget—and the debt-to-GDP ratio hovers around 124%. This is unsustainable. We are mortgaging our children’s and grandchildren’s futures, and as a businessman and father, I won’t stand for it.

The root problem isn’t a lack of revenue—America brings in trillions in tax dollars every year. The issue is Congress’s inability to control spending. Like responsible families and businesses here in Mississippi, who must live within their means and balance their budgets, the federal government must do the same. Out-of-control deficits fuel inflation by devaluing our dollar, reducing the buying power of hardworking Americans, raising costs for groceries, gas, housing, and everything else.

To fix this, I support zero-based budgeting at the federal level. Every dollar spent must be justified from scratch each year—no automatic carryovers or assumptions that last year’s spending is the baseline. Agencies and programs would start at zero and prove their value to earn funding. This approach forces efficiency, eliminates waste, and prioritizes what truly matters to the American people.

We must end the cycle of continuing resolutions (CRs) that kick the can down the road and enable unchecked spending. Instead, Congress should pass clean, individual spending bills on time—full-year appropriations debated openly and voted on separately. No more massive omnibus packages loaded with pork and hidden earmarks.

Ultimately, the only way to enforce fiscal discipline in the long term is a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. This would require the federal government to balance its budget each year, with limited exceptions for emergencies such as war or recession, and to cap spending as a percentage of GDP. Many states, including Mississippi, already operate under balanced budget requirements—Washington needs to follow suit.

In Congress, I will fight for these reforms: zero-based budgeting, timely and transparent appropriations, an end to deficit spending as usual, and passage of a balanced budget amendment. We have the resources and ingenuity to govern responsibly without bankrupting our country. It’s time to put America’s fiscal house in order, protect our economy, and secure a prosperous future for the next generation of Mississippians and all Americans.

Together, we can stop the spending spree and restore fiscal sanity to Washington.