,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #adg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march    
#be1 #bjba,mr4 ,braun 7for himself1     
,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,scott of        
,florida1 and ,ms4 ,ernst7 submitted the
 following resolution2 which was        
referred to the ,committee on ,finance  
,,resolution  ,recognizing the national 
debt as a threat to national security4  
,whereas1 in ,september #bjbj1 the total
 public debt outstanding was more than  
#bf1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj1 resulting in a     
total interest expense of more than     
#cga1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj2 
,whereas1 in ,september #bjai1 the total
 public debt as a percentage of gross   
domestic product was about #ajj percent2
 ,whereas leaders of the ,congressional 
,budget ,office and the ,government     
,accountability ,office have testified  
that-- 7#a7 the growth of the public    
debt is unsustainable2 and  7#b7        
,congress must undertake extensive      
fiscal consolidation to combat that     

growth2 ,whereas the last ,federal      
budget surplus occurred in #bjja2       
,whereas1 in fiscal year #bjbj1 ,federal
 tax receipts totaled                   
#c1dbj1jjj1jjj1jjj1 but ,federal outlays
 totaled #f1feb1jjj1jjj1jjj1 leaving the
 ,federal ,government with a #a-year    
deficit of #c1acb1jjj1jjj1jjj2 ,whereas1
 since the last ,federal budget surplus 
occurred in #bjja1 ,congress-- 7#a7 has 
failed to maintain a fiscally           
responsible budget2 and  7#b7 has had to
 raise the debt ceiling repeatedly2     
,whereas the ,medicare ,board of        
,trustees projects that the ,medicare   
,hospital ,insurance ,trust ,fund will  
be depleted in #bjbf2 ,whereas the      
,social ,security and ,medicare ,boards 
of ,trustees project that the           
,disability ,insurance and the ,federal 
,old-,age and ,survivors ,insurance     
,trust ,funds will be depleted in #bjbf 
and #bjca1 respectively2 ,whereas heavy 
indebtedness increases the exposure of  
the ,federal ,government to interest    

rate risks2 ,whereas the credit rating  
of the ,united ,states was reduced by   
,standard and ,poor's from ,,aaa to ,,aa
 on ,august #e1 #bjaa1 and has remained 
at that level ever since2 ,whereas1     
without a targeted effort to balance the
 ,federal budget1 the credit rating of  
the ,united ,states will continue to    
fall2 ,whereas improvements in the      
business climate in populous countries1 
and aging populations around the world1 
will likely contribute to higher global 
interest rates2 ,whereas more than      
#g1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj of ,federal debt is  
owned by individuals not located in the 
,united ,states1 including more than    
#a1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj of which is owned by 
individuals in ,china2 ,whereas ,china  
and the ,european ,union are developing 
alternative payment systems to weaken   
the dominant position of the ,united    
,states dollar as a reserve currency2   
,whereas rapidly increasing interest    
rates will squeeze all policy priorities
 of the ,united ,states1 including      

defense policy and foreign policy       
priorities2 ,whereas the ,national      
,security ,strategy of the ,united      
,states1 as of the date of adoption of  
this resolution1 highlights the need to 
reduce the national debt through fiscal 
responsibility2 ,whereas1 on ,april #ab1
 #bjah1 former ,secretary of ,defense   
,james ,mattis warned that any ,nation  
that can't keep its fiscal house in     
order eventually cannot maintain its    
military power2 ,whereas1 on ,march #f1 
#bjah1 ,director of ,national           
,intelligence ,dan ,coats warned3 ,our  
continued plunge into debt is           
unsustainable and represents a dire     
future threat to our economy and to our 
national security2 ,whereas1 on         
,november #ae1 #bjag1 former            
,secretaries of ,defense ,leon ,panetta1
 ,ash ,carter1 and ,chuck ,hagel warned3
 ,increase in the debt will1 in the     
absence of a comprehensive budget that  
addresses both entitlements and         
revenues1 force even deeper reductions  

in our national security capabilities2  
and ,whereas1 on ,september #bb1 #bjaa1 
former ,chairman of the ,joint ,chiefs  
of ,staff ,michael ,mullen warned3 ,i   
believe the single1 biggest threat to   
our national security is debt3 ,now1    
therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate--    
7#a7 recognizes that the national debt  
is a threat to the national security of 
the ,united ,states2  7#b7 realizes that
 persistent1 structural deficits are    
unsustainable1 irresponsible1 and       
dangerous2 and  7#c7 commits to         
addressing the looming fiscal crisis    
faced by the ,united ,states4