Rep. Andy Biggs is sounding the alarm that America’s crushing $323,045-per-taxpayer debt burden poses a direct threat to national security, demanding Congress finally face the fiscal disaster left by years of reckless spending.
Story Highlights
- Biggs introduces resolution declaring national debt a national security emergency
- Every American taxpayer now owes $323,045 as of January 2025
- Interest payments on debt now exceed entire annual military budget
- Resolution calls for end to bloated omnibus spending bills and fiscal discipline
- Co-sponsored by House Freedom Caucus members ahead of September funding deadline
Freedom Caucus Leader Takes Stand Against Fiscal Recklessness
Rep. Andy Biggs launched a direct assault on Washington’s spending addiction by introducing a House resolution that formally declares the national debt a threat to America’s security. The Arizona Republican and gubernatorial candidate partnered with fellow conservatives Byron Donalds, Daniel Webster, Paul Gosar, and Dan Newhouse to force Congress to confront the staggering debt crisis. This bold move comes as the government operates under yet another continuing resolution passed in March, maintaining Biden-era spending levels that fiscal conservatives have long opposed.
Debt Burden Reaches Breaking Point for American Families
The numbers reveal a fiscal nightmare that threatens every American family’s future prosperity. As of January 2025, estimates from the U.S. Treasury and Congressional Budget Office indicate the national debt exceeded $36.8 trillion, which averages to approximately $323,000 per taxpayer when divided among the roughly 114 million taxpayers. According to fiscal year 2024 data from the Congressional Budget Office, net interest on the national debt was approximately $882 billion, which exceeded the $874 billion allocated to defense discretionary spending. In 2018, then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis and other officials expressed concern that uncontrolled federal debt could eventually impair U.S. military readiness, a view echoed in later testimony by Admiral Mike Mullen and General Paul Selva before Congress.
Congress Abandons Constitutional Budget Process
Biggs’s resolution exposes how Congress has systematically abandoned its constitutional duty to control spending through proper appropriations.Budget process analyses from the Government Accountability Office show that since fiscal year 2006, Congress has frequently relied on omnibus spending bills and continuing resolutions rather than passing each of the twelve appropriations bills individually. This broken process enables bloated spending packages filled with special interest projects while preventing meaningful fiscal restraint. The resolution demands a return to regular order and accountable budgeting that puts taxpayers first.
National Security Implications Demand Immediate Action
The resolution strategically links fiscal irresponsibility to America’s ability to defend itself and project strength globally. Policy briefings from the Bipartisan Policy Center caution that rising interest payments on the national debt could reduce available funding for defense priorities, potentially weakening the U.S. strategic position and sending concerning signals to both allies and adversaries. The timing proves crucial as Congress faces a September 30 deadline to fund the government for fiscal year 2026, creating leverage for fiscal conservatives to demand real change. This represents a critical opportunity to break the cycle of temporary funding measures that enable continued fiscal abuse and government bloat.
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Republican congressman Andy Biggs pushes to declare national debt emergency
Arizona’s Biggs Pushes to Declare National Debt Emergency
H.Res.190 – 118th Congress Cosponsors
H.R.402 – DEBT Act
