when the president arrived. it is almost as if she receded to the queenly role that martha washington rejected. >> your questions and comments by phone, facebook, and twitter tonight at 9:00 eastern on c- span and c-span3 and c-span radio and c-span.org. third prize winners of c-span's student cam concepts -- contest. their message to the government focuses on inefficient government spending. peaking over each tother]

♪ >> dear president obama, we are approaching the fiscal cliff. government spending is a part of the problem. we need a solution. help us, please. the average american family earns about $45,000 per year. the federal government earns about $2.5 trillion per year. both have to budget to avoid it. american families spend $47,000 per year. only four percent of their spending is not justified by their budget.

the government spends about $3.5 trillion per year. one third of their spending is not justified by their but idge. >> i level of concern about the federal debt is high. >> the nations that is the most significant problem. >> when you have a total national government debt that is the size of the national economy, you have a problem. our debt exceeds the size of the economy. it is over $16 trillion of gdp. of the problem is what has happened over the last several years with the recession. the recession led to declines in tax revenues. congress introduced tax cuts that caused the deficit to grow

and we had federal government spending -- the newest spending that was -- stimulus spending that was higher than was the case before the recession. >> the recession hit and the debt skyrocketed. what caused the debt to reach a high point russia mark >> -- to reach a high point? >> the american people. we want welfare spending. we won all of the spending of the government spending and we do not want to pay the bill. >> this is like going to the mall with your dad's credit card. it is fun. you go shopping. maybe there are limitations, but in the end you are not the one paying. you have to think of it differently. you are going to the mall with

your grandchild's credit card. that is what we are doing with the federal government. we are making these promises to provide programs and benefit that the public demands. we are passing that will two generations. in the their involvement decision process. at itsust attack it core, the largest spending problems. >> the largest spending is in the tax code. we give more tax can raise and cuts to people who do not deserve them then we do to a program like a farm subsidy or housing program or education program. that is little discussed as well as the fact that most of the out of theend comes department of defense. >> it is national defense.

we spend so much more on national defense than any country. you can add of many countries and you would be pressed to find their military spending equals ours. >> growth in social security and medicare. someone will have to pay the bill. that bill is based on all of us. through our taxes and payroll, as ashley payroll taxes for social security and medicare. those programs are the most significant spending problems. they dwarf any problems we may dream of with regards to food stamps, housing assistance, welfare, osha will support, -- social support, the scapegoats for federal government problems. >> the federal government

budget is like a federal -- family budget is that it goes up on small things like groceries. and the federal government, cutting back the mall things will make a difference and pr ograms. if you could cut spending from the overfunded programs, which programs would you redirect the money to? >> take it away from military ending and invest it in the nations infrastructure, roads, transportation networks, and in education. >> none. [laughter] i would cut spending to cut spending. toould not redirect it underfunded programs. we do not have that luxury. >> we cannot keep looking our children in the eye knowing

that we are going to give them a diminished future because we are pending their money today. you may bewahy concerned about the future. you will pick up the tab or your grandparents. >> we need a solution. one that will help us on the road to recovery. here are ways we believe he can get there. this affects all of us. we have to put aside our interest and let the special interest outside of the door and come up with a solution. more accountability in terms of information about government spending. what it is spending our taxpayer dollars on. we have to come together. the deficit problem is a problem we created together. it is by working together that we will be able to address the nation's debt.

>> you can find this video and .orgrs at student cam >> your calls and comments on "washington journal." then a discussion on negotiations over a rise nuclear program -- iran's nuclear program. this is at 10:00 a.m. eastern. >> the sequester will reduce our grants by about five percent, odch equates to 20 mill -- $2 million that will be licenseesd among the and stations i have described. we have taken a 13% cut in our federal funding over the last two years.

if the federal government had sustained the cuts we have sustained, the budget would the $500 billion smaller than it is now. we have made a significant contribution to deficit reduction and retirement of the federal debt. >> the impact of spending cuts on public television tonight on "the indicators. -- the communicators." >> mary schiovo discusses the closing of air traffic control towers due to budget cuts and the impact on a deed and job losses. louise radnofsky looks at how premiums and health care will change this year because of the affordable care act. the irs and the problem it has faced and its movements.