Speaking to a group of Cleburne County residents gathered last week at Marie’s BBQ in Heflin, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions said America is “on a path that’s unsustainable” and “somehow we’ve got to work our way through this financial situation.”

He added, “The amount of money we’ve (the government) been spending recklessly threatens the recovery.”

Sessions said the U.S. has borrowed $800 billion. “Where’s the money coming from? There is no free lunch. The idea that we can borrow our way to prosperity is not a good idea.”

He told the group that America ended the last fiscal year in September with a $1.4 trillion deficit and $1.6 trillion is projected for this year with “no plan to pay the debt down.

Session said a major problem is interest on the national debt which he said right now stands at $170 billion on the $5.7 trillion debt. “This is expected to triple in 10 years and by 2019 we will be paying $800 billion per year.”

“We’re on a path that doesn’t make sense and Americans are not happy about it,” he added.

On the topic of health care reform Session said he believed the proposed health care bill is a government take over and “the American people saved us” by emails, letters and phone calls of protest to senators and congressmen. “Sixty percent opposed health care reform,” he said.

“I believe the American people will continue to be active and will reverse this trend and contain spending,” he said.

Having just experience the biggest snow ever since his time in Washington D.C., Sessions questioned global warming, saying that the government cannot afford to drive up the cost of energy by placing additional restrictions on production and usage under the idea of reducing global warming. He said such efforts would be “devastating to the economy” and could cost consumers $100 more per month on their energy bills.

Sessions said he is “big on nuclear power” and feels there could be more oil drilling in Alaska.

On the issue of immigration, Sessions said America needs an honest, legal system than can be enforced.

He said many who want to become Americans legally will spend months and years going through the process while others simply walk across the border. “This is not a good policy.

In final comments he said the recent Republican win in Massachusetts is proof “the American people can make a difference and send a message.”

Commenting on the Obama administration’s desire to cap CEO salaries of some of the large financial institutions which received federal bail-outs, Session said “the government better be careful telling people how much (money) they can make.”

Sessions followed up by commenting on the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling lifting a ban on political spending by corporations in candidate elections.

He said he supported the ruling because businesses and corporations should not be told they can’t pool their money and buy political ads.

Asked about earmarking of funds, Session said the idea may sound good but too many times the action is a political decision rather than meritorious.

County resident James Bland asked about a balanced budget amendment to control the government’s spending spree to which Sessions’ responded that he has supported a balanced budget amendment and a cap on spending.

Asked if he supports the Fair Tax (a national sales tax) he said he feels a flat tax would be a better solution as the Fair Tax calls for “an awfully high sales tax” of around 27%. He added that some effort needs to be made to turn Americans into a saving society.

Questioned about judicial activism by Supreme Court judges, Sessions said he believes there is a “dangerous trend” toward modernism, secularism and liberalism. “I believe in an objective truth and what we are seeing is a corrosion and erosion of American principles. Some things Congress does is unconstitutional.”

Asked by Circuit Judge Glee Sarrell about the escalating war in Afghanistan, Session said he hates to send more troops there but added that President Obama has a “pretty good plan” except he should not have given an anticipated withdrawal date.

He said the nation has some 30 million people with a very weak central government and the U.S. should not have the imaginary idea that the leadership in Kabul, the nation’s capital, is going to really run the government.

Sessions said Iran is very near developing a nuclear weapon and he feels once they accomplish that goal, other Islamic nations will follow.

He said Obama’s efforts at talks and negotiations with Iran have not worked and suggested more aggressive sanctions might be the answer.

It (Iran) is the most dangerous area in the world. It is of the highest importance that Iran not have nuclear weapons. The question is, do we bomb (Iran) or does Israel? Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world.”