--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe, as a matter of principle, that…" description: "\"I believe, as a matter of principle, that the debt is a problem that must be addressed sooner rather than later. I also know that fundamental changes a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4e/mick-mulvaney-15084_believe_i-believe-as-a-matter-of-principle-that_1494413.png" --- # I believe, as a matter of principle, that the debt is a… ![“I believe, as a matter of principle, that the debt is a problem that must be addressed sooner rather than later. I also know that fundamental changes are needed in the way Washington spends and taxes if we truly want a healthy economy. This must include changing our government's long-term fiscal…” quote by Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4e/mick-mulvaney-15084_believe_i-believe-as-a-matter-of-principle-that_1494413.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4e/mick-mulvaney-15084_believe_i-believe-as-a-matter-of-principle-that_1494413.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4e/mick-mulvaney-15084_believe_i-believe-as-a-matter-of-principle-that_1494413.png) > “I believe, as a matter of principle, that the debt is a problem that must be addressed sooner rather than later. I also know that fundamental changes are needed in the way Washington spends and taxes if we truly want a healthy economy. This must include changing our government's long-term fiscal path, which is unsustainable.” [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for urgent fiscal reform, emphasizing unsustainable debt and need for spending and tax changes. **In simple terms:** Debt is a problem that needs quick action. Key Takeaway Push for responsible fiscal policy now. Themes economics policy debt government Mood analytical concerned Type policy economic When to use this quote - budget planning - legislative proposals - public advocacy Key Concepts fiscal sustainability tax reform spending cuts Questions to Reflect On - What specific policy changes could reduce debt? - How can bipartisan support be built? A Different Perspective Political opposition may stall reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Changes Are Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changes-are-needed-220579/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Debt Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-problem-494798/) [Fiscal Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiscal-path-1606025/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Principle Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle-debt-794764/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Washington Spends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-spends-794765/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I believe, as a matter of principle, that the debt is a problem that must be addressed sooner rather than later. I also know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/i-believe-as-a-matter-of-principle-that-the-debt-is-a-problem-that-2/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [I think it's absolutely clear that the fiscal path we are on is not sustainable, and for me, the best analogy is these deficits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erskine-bowles/i-think-it-s-absolutely-clear-that-the-fiscal-path-we-are-on-is-not/) [Erskine Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erskine-bowles/) > [“A Debt Problem Is, At Its Core, a Budgeting Problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-pace/a-debt-problem-is-at-its-core-a-budgeting-problem/) [Natalie Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-pace/) > [Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally . Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/increasing-america-s-debt-weakens-us-domestically-and-internationally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Well, as I said, you know the issue of Greek debt, they've grasped the principle of debt reduction. I think most people would argue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/well-as-i-said-you-know-the-issue-of-greek-debt-they-ve-grasped-the/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [“By hiding behind the overarching term “white privilege,” the small percentage of privileged whites have ensured the following: first, they remain disguised behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/by-hiding-behind-the-overarching-term-white-privilege-the-small/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [Take Washington, D.C., which spends over $10,000 per student for education whose student achievement would be dead last if Mississippi chose to secede from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/take-washington-d-c-which-spends-over-10-000-per-student-for/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [I don't know that I can give a definitive answer to that, I can only say that if we create the right climate those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anderson/i-don-t-know-that-i-can-give-a-definitive-answer-to-that-i-can-only/) [John Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anderson/) > [The problem with our deficit is not because Americans are taxed too little. The problem with the deficit is because Washington spends too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/the-problem-with-our-deficit-is-not-because-americans-are-taxed-too/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [I shall work with Congress, civil society groups and local government executives who are convinced that charter changes are needed to enable the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-shall-work-with-congress-civil-society-groups-and-local-government/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The statement, "The debt problem has become so extreme that we have no choice but to cut social spending" is presented as an objective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcquaig/the-statement-the-debt-problem-has-become-so-extreme-that-we-have-no/) [Linda McQuaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcquaig/) > [The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. America has a debt problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-fact-that-we-are-here-today-to-debate-raising-america-s-debt/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think we are not serious about attacking the long-term debt problem, and that's one of the things that he's going to have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/i-think-we-are-not-serious-about-attacking-the-long-term-debt-problem/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [I certainly don't want our nation to go into default, but at the same time, I'm very concerned about our ongoing debt problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-hultgren/i-certainly-don-t-want-our-nation-to-go-into-default-but-at-the-same/) [Randy Hultgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-hultgren/) > [But obviously, we're looking for all good ideas to help deal with our long-term debt problem. This is something that is going to affect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/but-obviously-we-re-looking-for-all-good-ideas-to-help-deal-with-our/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) ## More by Mick Mulvaney > [Every penny we spend comes from the taxpayer. We thus owe it to the taxpayer to work as hard managing that money wisely as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/every-penny-we-spend-comes-from-the-taxpayer-we-thus-owe-it-to-the/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [If we had 3 percent growth, which is what we're trying to get to, what we're at, by the way, right now, we're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/if-we-had-3-percent-growth-which-is-what-we-re-trying-to-get-to-what/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [I would be embarrassed to tell you how many folks ran saying that they weren't going to spend a bunch of money, they weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/i-would-be-embarrassed-to-tell-you-how-many-folks-ran-saying-that/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [You can't look at the tax cut on a family until you realized how - how much better off they're going to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/you-can-t-look-at-the-tax-cut-on-a-family-until-you-realized-how-how/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [Infrastructure is sort of that good spending in the middle, where even if you do misallocate resources a little bit, you still have something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/infrastructure-is-sort-of-that-good-spending-in-the-middle-where-even/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [We have to get the tax revenues up. That means we have to get back to a healthy American economy, grow the economy so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/we-have-to-get-the-tax-revenues-up-that-means-we-have-to-get-back-to/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [The White House would love to see Obamacare taken apart all at once, bit by bit, however we can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/the-white-house-would-love-to-see-obamacare-taken-apart-all-at-once/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [Remember what Obamacare gave you. Obamacare gave you insurance but not health care. A lot of folks who were technically insured either couldn't afford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/remember-what-obamacare-gave-you-obamacare-gave-you-insurance-but-not/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [I really do feel like I'm doing what the people that elected me in the first place wanted me to do. I'm not doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/i-really-do-feel-like-i-m-doing-what-the-people-that-elected-me-in/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [If we can get to that 3 percent grow, it is $2 trillion to $2.5 trillion worth of more government revenues. It's 12 million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/if-we-can-get-to-that-3-percent-grow-it-is-2-trillion-to-2-5-trillion/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [We have to end Medicare as we know it. We have to fix it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/we-have-to-end-medicare-as-we-know-it-we-have-to-fix-it/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [Bad spending, to me, in terms of its economic benefit, would be wealth transfer payments. It's a misallocation of resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/bad-spending-to-me-in-terms-of-its-economic-benefit-would-be-wealth/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [Too often in Washington, we only look at the recipient side: How does the budget affect either those who receive or don't receive benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/too-often-in-washington-we-only-look-at-the-recipient-side-how-does/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [We cannot have another experience like we've had in my freshman class, of people saying one thing and doing another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/we-cannot-have-another-experience-like-we-ve-had-in-my-freshman-class/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [Do you really think that Social Security disability insurance is part of what people think of when they think of Social Security? I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/do-you-really-think-that-social-security-disability-insurance-is-part/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) [Explore all 44 Mick Mulvaney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe, as a matter of principle, that the debt is a problem that must be addressed sooner rather than later. I also know that fundamental changes are needed in the way Washington spends and taxes if we truly want a healthy economy. 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