--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I ask the American people to consider the…" description: "\"I ask the American people to consider the legacy this administration has handed us in the defense budget as we spend billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2b/rick-larsen-25014_ability_i-ask-the-american-people-to-consider-th_3094889.png" --- # I ask the American people to consider the legacy this… ![“I ask the American people to consider the legacy this administration has handed us in the defense budget as we spend billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars without the tools and ability to track these dollars.” quote by Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2b/rick-larsen-25014_ability_i-ask-the-american-people-to-consider-th_3094889.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2b/rick-larsen-25014_ability_i-ask-the-american-people-to-consider-th_3094889.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2b/rick-larsen-25014_ability_i-ask-the-american-people-to-consider-th_3094889.png) > “I ask the American people to consider the legacy this administration has handed us in the defense budget as we spend billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars without the tools and ability to track these dollars.” [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker warns that the administration’s defense spending lacks transparency and accountability, risking waste of taxpayer money. **In simple terms:** Defense spending is not being tracked properly. Key Takeaway Demand greater fiscal oversight. Themes government budget transparency accountability military Mood concerned critical Type political policy When to use this quote - Congressional hearings - budget reviews - taxpayer advocacy Key Concepts public finance budgetary control defense procurement Questions to Reflect On - How can transparency be improved in defense spending? - What mechanisms ensure accountability for large budgets? A Different Perspective Complex defense contracts can obscure spending details. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Defense budget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-budget/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Legacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legacy/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Taxpayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxpayers/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) ## Related quotes > [If you build - if you spend billions of taxpayer dollars to build a wall over, let's say, a mountain, if you build a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeh-johnson/if-you-build-if-you-spend-billions-of-taxpayer-dollars-to-build-a/) [Jeh Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeh-johnson/) > [Should we continue to spend billions to subsidize foreign military dictatorships, or should we concentrate on taking better care of the one we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/should-we-continue-to-spend-billions-to-subsidize-foreign-military/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [Those who know me know I'm passionate about lists, and top of my list of priorities is my family. My wife Joan and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/those-who-know-me-know-i-m-passionate-about-lists-and-top-of-my-list/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [We need a defense budget that's big enough to sustain an increase in the size of the Army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-talent/we-need-a-defense-budget-that-s-big-enough-to-sustain-an-increase-in/) [Jim Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-talent/) > [The 'defense' budget is three quarters of a trillion dollars. Profits went up last year well over 25%. I guarantee you: when war becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-defense-budget-is-three-quarters-of-a-trillion-dollars-profits/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The reality is, the United States has global interests. Our defense budget is about the same as the defense budgets or military budgets of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/the-reality-is-the-united-states-has-global-interests-our-defense/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I have long believed there is a lot of waste in the defense budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/i-have-long-believed-there-is-a-lot-of-waste-in-the-defense-budget/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [The defense budget is more than a piggy bank for people who want to get busy beating swords into pork barrels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-defense-budget-is-more-than-a-piggy-bank-for-people-who-want-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we can't find cuts in the defense budget, we're not looking carefully enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/if-we-can-t-find-cuts-in-the-defense-budget-we-re-not-looking/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [But if our nation goes over a financial Niagara, we won't have much strength and, eventually, we won't have peace. 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We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/for-the-past-several-years-the-meth-caucus-has-worked-to-engage-the/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [Now more than ever, America needs an agenda for real change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/now-more-than-ever-america-needs-an-agenda-for-real-change/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [A half-century after racing the Russians to the moon, the U.S. is barely suiting up in the international race to secure interests in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/a-half-century-after-racing-the-russians-to-the-moon-the-u-s-is/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [Congress had the opportunity to extend tax relief to working families without increasing the deficit. Instead, we were handed a bill that favors the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/congress-had-the-opportunity-to-extend-tax-relief-to-working-families/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) [Explore all 23 Rick Larsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 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