Last week, the House passed a simple bill: No Budget, No Pay. It has had the intended effect. The Democrat-controlled Senate now says it will pass a budget for the first time in four years. This is a positive step because an honest debate about the future of America requires all sides to put their plan on the table.

I am a new member of the House Budget Committee, which is lead by Paul Ryan. Under his leadership, the budget we will craft will show the differences between our vision for America and the vision of our friends on the other side of the aisle.

Their vision is government focused. Despite $1.6 trillion in tax hikes from the fiscal cliff and Obamacare, they are still demanding even higher taxes to pay for even bigger government.

Our vision is focused on making the American dream available to anybody willing to work for it through a strong, growing economy far from the control of bureaucracies in Washington.

The budget must be balanced and debt paid down because it is a morally wrong to leave future generations a burden they had no role in creating and never agreed to shoulder.

Medicare and Social Security must be saved for current and future retirees. Welfare programs must be reformed to ensure they are available for those who truly need them without encouraging dependency and waste.

We will not immediately get everything we want. But we will present our vision and do everything in our power to be defenders of the taxpayers, Mississippi values, and the American dream.