--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I refuse to leave our children with a…" description: "\"I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/barack-obama-17_breaking-promises_i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-de_3089546.jpg" --- # I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they… ![“I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/barack-obama-17_breaking-promises_i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-de_3089546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/barack-obama-17_breaking-promises_i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-de_3089546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/barack-obama-17_breaking-promises_i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-de_3089546.jpg) > “I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Commitment to protecting future generations from unsustainable debt. **In simple terms:** Wants to prevent debt that children cannot repay. Key Takeaway Advocate fiscal responsibility. Themes economics public policy future generations debt social justice government responsibility financial stability Mood concerned hopeful Type political policy When to use this quote - policy making - public advocacy - legislative work Key Concepts budget deficits tax policy social welfare education funding Questions to Reflect On - How can debt be reduced responsibly? - What trade‑offs are acceptable? A Different Perspective Political opposition may limit reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaking promises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-promises/) [Broken promises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-promises/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-debt-4205748/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Debt Repay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-repay-3574949/) [Leave Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leave-children/) [Our children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-children/) [Promises that are broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promises-that-are-broken/) [Refuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuse/) [Repay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repay/) ## Related quotes > [Today I am pledging to cut the deficit we inherited in half by the end of my first term in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/today-i-am-pledging-to-cut-the-deficit-we-inherited-in-half-by-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-you-like-your-health-care-plan-you-can-keep-your-health-care-plan/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I will sign a universal health-care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-will-sign-a-universal-health-care-bill-into-law-by-the-end-of-my/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I don't want to pit Red America against Blue America. I want to be President of the United States of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-want-to-pit-red-america-against-blue-america-i-want-to-be/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [A man who has taken your time recognises no debt; yet it is the one he can never repay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/a-man-who-has-taken-your-time-recognises-no-debt-yet-it-is-the-one-he/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/promises-are-the-uniquely-human-way-of-ordering-the-future/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Broken vows are like broken mirrors. They leave those who held to them bleeding and staring at fractured images of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/broken-vows-are-like-broken-mirrors-they-leave-those-who-held-to-them/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [Thou oughtest to be nice, even to Superstition, in keeping thy Promises; and therefore thou shouldst be equally cautious in making them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fuller/thou-oughtest-to-be-nice-even-to-superstition-in-keeping-thy-promises/) [Thomas Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fuller/) > [Breach of promise is a base surrender of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/breach-of-promise-is-a-base-surrender-of-truth/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [When I think of the future, I think of my 15 year old son Connor and my 12 year old daughter Meghan. I worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarthy/when-i-think-of-the-future-i-think-of-my-15-year-old-son-connor-and/) [Kevin McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarthy/) > [Seeing that he owns absolutely nothing to ‘repay’ his debt, ‘his own consciousness’ of the fact ‘that he is himself the very substance’ of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syed-muhammad-naquib-al-attas/seeing-that-he-owns-absolutely-nothing-to-repay-his-debt-his-own/) [Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syed-muhammad-naquib-al-attas/) > [I get up every single day trying to repay a debt that I can never repay. Never. And I will work hard. Because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-duckworth/i-get-up-every-single-day-trying-to-repay-a-debt-that-i-can-never/) [Tammy Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-duckworth/) > [While we may not live to see the full realization of our ambition, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that the world we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/while-we-may-not-live-to-see-the-full-realization-of-our-ambition-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What I’ve realized is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re willing to do your small part to leave our children — all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-i-ve-realized-is-that-life-doesn-t-count-for-much-unless-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children – all of our children – a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/life-doesn-t-count-for-much-unless-you-re-willing-to-do-your-small/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Breaking promises quotes > [There's something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/there-s-something-about-taking-a-plow-and-breaking-new-ground-it/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [When a man takes an oath... he's holding his own self in his own hands. Like water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bolt/when-a-man-takes-an-oath-he-s-holding-his-own-self-in-his-own-hands/) [Robert Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bolt/) > [Senator Hillary Clinton is attacking President Bush for breaking his campaign promise to cut carbon dioxide emissions, saying a promise made, a promise broken.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kilborn/senator-hillary-clinton-is-attacking-president-bush-for-breaking-his/) [Craig Kilborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kilborn/) > [Congress seems to thrive on breaking promises and passing unfunded mandates down to local government. It's really just a matter of priorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-polis/congress-seems-to-thrive-on-breaking-promises-and-passing-unfunded/) [Jared Polis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-polis/) > [All I wanted to do was ride skateboards - I wanted to be a professional skateboarder. But I had this problem. I kept breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/all-i-wanted-to-do-was-ride-skateboards-i-wanted-to-be-a-professional/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [My show was revolutionary, ground-breaking. When I came on the scene, people were not doing a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stern/my-show-was-revolutionary-ground-breaking-when-i-came-on-the-scene/) [Howard Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stern/) > [The stones tear like flesh, rather than breaking. Although what happens is violent, it is a violence that is in stone. A tear is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-goldsworthy/the-stones-tear-like-flesh-rather-than-breaking-although-what-happens/) [Andy Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-goldsworthy/) > [Promises may get thee friends, but non-performance will turn them into enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/promises-may-get-thee-friends-but-non-performance-will-turn-them-into/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I'm sorry, for breaking our promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meicee/i-m-sorry-for-breaking-our-promises/) [Meicee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meicee/) > [Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/promises-are-the-uniquely-human-way-of-ordering-the-future/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Broken vows are like broken mirrors. They leave those who held to them bleeding and staring at fractured images of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/broken-vows-are-like-broken-mirrors-they-leave-those-who-held-to-them/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [I would rather be accused of breaking precedents than breaking promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/i-would-rather-be-accused-of-breaking-precedents-than-breaking/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Thou oughtest to be nice, even to Superstition, in keeping thy Promises; and therefore thou shouldst be equally cautious in making them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fuller/thou-oughtest-to-be-nice-even-to-superstition-in-keeping-thy-promises/) [Thomas Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fuller/) > [“Sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with breaking promises, though. You can’t go through life without breaking promises. You need to break a few rules as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/sometimes-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-breaking-promises-though-you-can/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [Six Things Which Weaken The Relations: 1) Misbehaving 2) Ignoring 3) Lying 4) Breaking Promises 5) Avoiding Contact 6) Doubting Six Things Which Strengthen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab/six-things-which-weaken-the-relations-1-misbehaving-2-ignoring-3/) [AB](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab/) [Browse all 37 Breaking promises quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-promises/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-debt-that-they-cannot-repay/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breaking promises" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-debt-that-they-cannot-repay/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/barack-obama-17_breaking-promises_i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-de_3089546.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/barack-obama-17_breaking-promises_i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-de_3089546.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/barack-obama-17_breaking-promises_i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-de_3089546.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay.” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I refuse to leave our children...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-debt-that-they-cannot-repay/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-refuse-to-leave-our-children-with-a-debt-that-they-cannot-repay/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```