U.S. Sen. David Perdue outlines three crises in maiden Senate speech | VIDEO

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., made his “maiden speech” Monday from the floor of the Senate, taking aim at what he described as abuse of executive power, deterioration of U.S. foreign policy and out-of-control national debt.

Mobile users can view Sen. David Perdue’s speech here.

His speech, his first from the Senate floor since succeeding Saxby Chambliss in January as U.S. senator from Georgia, came after he and Georgia’s senior U.S. senator, Johnny Isakson, also a Republican, introduced legislation Friday that the pair say is designed to curb unconstitutional federal regulations and executive branch overreach. The Restoring the 10th Amendment Act proposal would establish a framework for a state to challenge a federal action that the state believes is unconstitutional before the federal action goes into effect.

Perdue said in his opening remarks that he waited until after the 100-day mark of his term before addressing the Senate out of respect for the chamber, but felt there issues he needed to speak out about. “Like many Americans,” he said, “I am outraged by Washington’s dysfunction, its fiscal irresponsibility, its lack of leadership in foreign policy, its intrusiveness and over reach, and its negative impact on hardworking Americans.”

He said America needs to “create a new beginning” by getting back to “our founding principles,” including “fiscal responsibility, limited government, and individual liberty. When government grows larger, individual liberty declines.”

In regard to foreign policy, Perdue said, America is facing a “global security crisis” in which allies distrust the U.S. and enemies do not fear it. A rivalry with Russia is returning as China grows more aggressive, he said, while a nuclear deal the Obama administration is working with Iran will leave that nation with a “breakout time down to zero” in 10-15 years for obtaining a nuclear weapon. The U.S. faces a “touch choice” with Islamic jihadists, he said, of “deal with them over there or wait and deal with the consequences here at home.” The problem is exacerbated with reduced U.S. military spending and manpower, he said.

“To address this global security crisis and create a new beginning, we must have a consistent and strong foreign policy,” he said. “However, to have a strong foreign policy we must have a strong defense.”

Regarding U.S. debt, Perdue said it threatens America’s ability to defend itself and the existence of the middle class. In the past six years, the federal government borrowed $8 trillion of the $21.5 trillion it spent, bringing the national debt to $18 trillion. Meanwhile, he said, the nation has $100 trillion in future unfunded liabilities related to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, federal pensions and interest on the federal debt.

“While the economy lurches along, we see working middle class Americans struggling,” he said. “Many people are having difficulty finding full-time jobs, and if they are lucky enough to have a job wages remain stagnant making it harder and harder to get from payday to payday.

“Many families can’t afford to buy a home or plan for the future. Moms and dads fear they can’t send their kids to college or prepare them for a good job. Many college graduates today have sizable student loans and still can’t find meaningful employment. A comfortable retirement is only a dream for many.”

Perdue opined that the solution is to break political deadlock and grow the U.S. economy, while eliminating duplicated programs, developing a long-term debt solution and getting Americans back to work at well-paying jobs.

To improve the economy, Perdue said the federal government should follow the example of states like Georgia and require a balanced budget; change the federal tax system to encourage innovation and investment while replacing the income tax with a consumption tax; rein in federal regulators who he said have become a “fourth branch of government,” and adopt a long-term energy policy that unlocks domestic energy resources while protecting the environment.

“To create a new beginning, it’s time for this eminent body, the United States Senate, to rise above partisan politics and do the right thing,” he said. “It starts with leadership. It starts with making hard choices. It starts with telling the American people the unvarnished truth. It starts with no longer kicking the can down the road. It starts with having the courage to actually solve these problems, independent of how it might affect our re-election chances.

“My motivation is very simple. I do not want to be a member of the first generation in American history that has to tell its kids that we are leaving them a country that is worse off than our parents left us.”