Congress Needs To Read Dave Ramsey And Fix Our National Debt Mess
Dave Ramsey, a personal finance guru, has a lot to teach a spendthrift institution…
As someone who believes in fiscal prudence, I've developed strong views on managing money by diving into the works of personal finance guru Dave Ramsey. Ramsey is a renowned personal finance expert, radio host, and author who advocates for debt-free living and financial discipline. I have been reading his books, listening to his podcasts, and watching his call-in show for years. Thanks to his principles, I am debt-free. His clear-eyed approach in The Total Money Makeover is a lifeline for families, and it is precisely what Congress needs to tackle the $36 trillion national debt and $1.8 trillion 2024 deficit. Ramsey talks to people about how to cut their spending, putting them on shoestring budgets. Would it be something if, by listening to Ramsey, Senators and Members of Congress could create a fiscally sane budget by prioritizing spending and eliminating excess?
The debt crisis is strangling. Interest payments alone are nearly $1 trillion annually. This money is desperately needed to start paying down the national debt. Ramsey, who has guided millions out of debt, is right on: "We can't borrow our way out of debt, any more than we can spend our way into prosperity," he said on The Ramsey Show in 2024, criticizing Washington's addiction to borrowing. His blunt assessment—"If the government would act like broke people, they'd stop spending"—means Congress needs to stop treating taxpayer money like an open checkbook.
Ramsey's principle is easy enough: spend less than you earn. For households, he promotes a "bare-bones budget," cutting out luxuries like vacations to pay off debt. His "baby steps" are an emergency fund of $1,000 and debt payments from smallest to largest. Congress could eliminate wasteful spending programs, freeing up massive amounts of money they could apply to the debt. Ramsey's advice, "You must gain control over your money, or the lack of it will forever control you," reveals a government lost, voting budgets of trillions, without the intention to balance them.
When federal debt is at issue, Ramsey is adamant: "It's time to stop the madness of thinking debt is a tool," he told Fox News in 2023, urging politicians to "cut up the credit cards" and spend within budgets. I agree with reductions in subsidies and runaway entitlements that lead to deficits. Compelling The Total Money Makeover could impose self-discipline that Congress cannot, making lawmakers budget each dollar and save for contingencies, not political wins.
If Congress embraced Ramsey's approach—cutting waste, living lean, rejecting debt as a crutch—we'd see a path to solvency. Ramsey has helped millions of people get out of debt. Making his book a required reading for our decision-makers in the U.S. Capitol could end reckless spending and honor future generations. It's time to stop this debt spiral and climb out, Ramsey-style.