Republican congressman Andy Biggs pushes to declare national debt emergency

Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican House Freedom Caucus member running for governor of Arizona, plans to introduce a resolution Tuesday to declare the national debt a threat to the nation’s security.

The resolution is a statement that the House of Representatives “recognizes that the national debt is a threat to the national security of the United States,” “realizes that deficits are unsustainable,” “commits to restoring regular order in the appropriations process,” and “commits to addressing the fiscal crisis.”

Within the resolution’s text, Biggs cites the $323,045 owed per taxpayer as of January 2025, and quotes former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who said in 2018 that ‘‘any nation that can’t keep its fiscal house in order eventually cannot maintain its military power.’’

Currently, the federal government spends more on servicing the interest on its debt each year than on military expenditures.

The resolution’s call for a regular appropriations process comes as Congress approaches a Sept. 30 deadline to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2026, which begins Oct. 1.

Congress has relied on continuing resolutions and omnibus spending packages since fiscal year 2006, which was the last time it funded the government with individual appropriations bills.

The government is currently running on the spending levels of former President Joe Biden’s administration, due to a March continuing resolution.

Biggs’ resolution is co-sponsored by fellow Republican Reps. Byron Donalds and Daniel Webster of Florida, Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Dan Newhouse of Washington.

[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]