ALEC Policy Champions Highlight the National Debt as a Threat to National Security

ALEC is honored to recognize Rep. Timothy O’Brien, Indiana State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla, and Governor Mike Braun for their leadership in the unanimous passage of HR28 in the Indiana House of Representatives, which recognizes the seriousness of the U.S. national debt and its threat to national security.

HR 28 aligns with the ALEC model resolution introduced and adopted at the 2025 ALEC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis and is featured in Essential Policy Solutions for 2026. The resolutions note that among the many consequences of unsustainable federal largesse is compromised security. The nation’s reliance on debt leads to a dependence on international debt markets for financing everyday government operations. The scale of that reliance raises questions about the country’s ability to pursue necessary defense initiatives and fund entitlements like Social Security and Medicare over the long term.

Last month, ALEC President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams joined Gov. Braun, Comptroller Nieshalla, and other state leaders in to discuss the national debt and highlight HR 28. Ten states are currently considering resolutions similar to this resolution and the ALEC model.

This resolution that passed in the Indiana House and the ALEC model follow a Senate Resolution passed in Indianapolis last year, led by Senators Daryl Schmitt and Bret Clark. All three of these draw from Senate Resolution 600, passed by the U.S. Senate in 2024 and sponsored by then-U.S. Senator Mike Braun. It is an ironic and stark reminder of the debt’s growth that Sen. Braun’s resolution cited a national debt above $34 trillion, the ALEC and Indiana Senate versions noted it had exceeded $36 trillion, and now HR 28 warns it has risen beyond $38 trillion.

Thanks to the leadership of Comptroller Nieshalla, ALEC and the State Financial Officers Foundation have partnered to write a letter to the President and Congress on the national debt crisis, signed by state leaders from around the country. Those looking to add their names to that letter may still do so here.

Congratulations to Rep. Timothy O’Brien, Comptroller Elise Nieshalla, and Governor Mike Braun for highlighting our national debt crisis and the threat it poses to national security.