Last week, South Carolina Republican Mark Sanford, who served as governor and a congressman for the Palmetto State, launched a new group focused on reducing the national debt and the federal deficit.
Sanford is leading Americans for Debt and Deficit Reduction (AFDDR) which he defined as “a non-partisan not-for-profit aimed at educating Americans on the dangers of our country’s financial path.”
“Our present financial course is unsustainable,” said Sanford. “Never have we seen this level of debt in peacetime and it will have grave consequences for each one of us if left unchecked. History shows that soaring national debt, deficits, and government spending are hardly a recipe for national prosperity, and more people need to be informed on this.”
Sanford will serve as the executive director of the new group.
“This year alone, our budget deficit is projected to hit $3.7 trillion according to the Congressional Budget Office. America’s debt levels, when measured against the size of our economy, will soon reach levels not seen since World War II and the Great Depression. The current coronavirus pandemic amplifies these trends, and this makes it that much more important that people have a firm understanding of the impact of governmental debt, deficits and spending,” AFDDR noted. “Education and action are key to solving what confronts us, and it’s our hope that Americans for Debt and Deficit Reduction plays a constructive role in advancing people’s understanding and appreciation for what’s mathematically before us.”
First elected to Congress in 1994, Sanford served three terms before defeating Gov. Jim Hodges, D-SC, in 2002. Establishing a strong fiscal record as governor, even trying to reject federal funds, Sanford garnered national attention in 2009 when his affair with an Argentinian woman was exposed thanks, in part, to the governor telling his team that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail when he was, in fact, visiting her in South America. Sanford bounced back in 2013, winning a special election to return to Congress. He was defeated in the 2018 Republican primary as President Donald Trump endorsed his opponent after Sanford slammed the president’s fiscal record. Sanford looked to offer a little political payback, launching a primary challenge to Trump in September 2019 but bowing out two months later after garnering little momentum.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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