Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., told Newsmax on Tuesday that eliminating all discretionary spending would not balance the federal budget.
"I don't think Congress has done a good job explaining to the American people where we're spending the money," Fleischmann said on "The Chris Salcedo Show."
The Tennessee Republican said discretionary spending, which is managed through annual appropriations, accounts for roughly 25% of the federal budget. The remaining 75% is mandatory spending, which automatically recurs without annual approval, he said.
"What I mean by that is interest on the national debt, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, most of Obamacare — 85% of Obamacare," Fleischmann said. "Congress tucks a lot of these things under mandatory spending, so they can't be controlled.
"The sheer reality is, if we did away with every penny of discretionary spending, we'd still run deficits. At some point in time, that's going to have to be looked at," he said.
"Democrats want to spend. They want dollar for dollar on discretionary nondefense spending.
"We've just got to say no. At some point in time, we just can't afford it anymore."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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