Rep. Lloyd Smucker, Vice Chair of the House Budget Committee and representative for Pennsylvania’s 11th district, delivered opening remarks at the Budget Committee’s Member Day hearing on December 3, 2025.
During his statement, Smucker addressed ongoing concerns with the federal budget process. “If there is one fundamental issue that continues to hold Congress back, it’s that we simply don’t have a healthy, functioning budget process. And the reality is, we haven’t had one in a long time,” he said.
He pointed out that since the late 1990s, Congress has averaged more than five continuing resolutions each fiscal year and highlighted that this practice would be unsustainable for any serious organization. He noted, “During the recent shutdown, our national debt surpassed $38 trillion. We’re spending $1 trillion a year on interest alone—more than our entire national defense budget.”
Smucker cited financial experts’ warnings about rising debt levels and described how most of the federal budget operates without regular oversight or updates. He also called attention to longstanding issues such as the Congressional Budget Office never having an external operational audit in over fifty years.
“There are numerous common-sense reforms like this on the table to breathe new life into this process, shake off the cobwebs, and shift the bias back toward action,” he stated.
He referenced past bipartisan efforts by the committee and discussed possible targets for deficit reduction: “Bringing deficits down to about 3 percent of GDP—a target endorsed by both Ray Dalio and Secretary Bessent—would stabilize the debt and begin to restore credibility.”
Addressing future spending growth largely driven by Social Security and health programs, Smucker said changes made in recent legislation have begun to reduce mandatory spending but emphasized more must be done regarding healthcare costs: “In my view, this conversation must happen on two tracks: first, making Americans genuine consumers of health care—able to shop, compare, and push the system toward value. And second, tackling the practices that inflate every medical bill—excessive hospital markups, opaque middlemen, and patent games that keep drug prices artificially high.”
Smucker expressed support for creating a fiscal commission modeled after previous successful efforts to address complex issues directly.
He concluded his remarks with an appeal for responsibility: “We did not come here to preside over decline. We came here to leave the country stronger than we found it… if we can summon those better fiscal angels—discipline, transparency, stewardship—we can begin to make choices that protect the next generation.”
Lloyd Smucker has represented Pennsylvania’s 11th district in Congress since 2017 after succeeding Joe Pitts; prior to his current role he served in the Pennsylvania Senate from 2009 through 2016 (https://smucker.house.gov/about). Born in Lancaster County in 1964 and currently residing there at age 59 (https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/102454/lloyd-smucker), Smucker continues his legislative work focused on federal fiscal policy.
