Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott and Congressman Josh Brecheen have introduced the Debt-Per-Citizen Transparency Act in Washington, D.C. The proposed legislation mandates that all cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) detail how a bill will influence the debt-to-citizen ratio.

Senator Scott emphasized the urgency of addressing the national debt, which has surpassed $35 trillion. He stated, “The national debt has reached an unsustainable $35+ trillion dollars and it is beyond time for some accountability to the American people. When you break it down, that works out to over $104,000 per child born today—we cannot continue to saddle our next generation with this debt. It is taking away their chance at the American Dream right before our eyes. I will not stand for it, and that is why I am introducing a bill that notifies Congress and the American people just how much a piece of legislation will impact the American people’s financial burden before they vote and continue to grow the debt-to-citizen ratio. They have a right to know.”

Congressman Brecheen echoed these concerns by highlighting lawmakers' need for awareness regarding legislative impacts on individual debt burdens before voting. He remarked, “With our national debt at more than $35 trillion, it is essential that lawmakers are made aware of how much legislation will affect the total debt-per-citizen ratio before voting on it. Every child born today owes more than $104,000 as their share of our national debt. It is long past time we reverse this curse and stop stealing prosperity from our children and our grandchildren.”

The introduction of this bill was supported by Senator Mike Braun in the Senate alongside original House cosponsors Representatives Greg Lopez and Lloyd Smucker. Additionally, organizations such as Heritage Action and Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget back this initiative.