Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who is running for retiring Sen. Jon Kyl’s (R-Ariz.) seat this year, took the occasion of the Super Bowl to remind voters yesterday that the U.S. is really, really broke.
Just how broke? Flake issued a statement noting that, at the AP-reported figure of about $3.5 million for a 30-second TV spot during the Big Game, more than 4.3 million Super Bowl commercials could be purchased with the $15.3 trillion debt carried by the U.S.
I’d add that the debt commercials would be significantly less entertaining, but it couldn’t be any worse than what we watched Sunday.
Flake added:
“Like Tom Brady in the final seconds of the big game, taxpayers need a real Hail Mary of a plan to solve our debt crisis.”
And let’s hope that debt plan is a more successful Hail Mary than Tom Brady’s end-of-game, no-prayer, unsuccessful lob into the end zone.
Flake is sponsoring the House counterpart to the debt buy-down bill of Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.). This would allow taxpayers to designate up to 10 percent of their federal income tax liability to reduce the national debt by checking a box on IRS forms, and requires an equal amount of permanent reductions in federal spending.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.