FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2005

CONTACT: Stacey Farnen Bernards (202) 225 - 3130

Hoyer Statement on Republican Budget

Whip Says Irresponsible, Misguided Bill Result of Republican Mismanagement

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement tonight regarding House passage of the Republican Budget Bill that will cut billions of dollars for programs that benefit students, seniors and children:

“This irresponsible and misguided budget bill is the direct result of five years of Republican mismanagement by President Bush and Congressional Republicans.  And it is a stark display of how wrong their priorities are for America.
 
“Republicans’ have used their complete control of Washington to enact hundreds of billions of dollars in deficit-financed tax cuts, most of which benefit the wealthiest Americans.  These failed fiscal policies have caused record budget deficits and driven us even deeper into debt -- forcing us to raise the debt limit an unheard of four times in four years.
 
“Yet, our Republican friends seem not to care.  Let somebody else deal with the fiscal disaster we are creating, they seem to say.
 
“These irresponsible policies are bad news for the economy; bad news for our nation's security; and bad news for our children, whom Republicans are immorally saddling with trillions of dollars in debt that will cripple their ability to meet any challenges that their generation will face.
 
“Now, embarrassed by their own incompetence, they claim they're restoring fiscal discipline.  They say it is imperative that Congress cut tens of billions of dollars from programs that invest in our students, protect our elderly, and assist our most vulnerable.
 
“But the truth is that Republicans have waiting in the wings even more tax cuts for the wealthy that far out strip the spending cuts in this bill. 

“Do the math America.  In the Republican Party’s make-believe world you can give away $100 billion in taxes to the wealthy and cut spending by $40 billion and pretend that you're reining in spending.  In the real world, that's called deficit spending -- an irresponsible, fiscal fraud.
 
“The Republican budget bill also is further evidence of their misplaced priorities.  Republicans continue to make tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans their number one priority while cold-heartedly cutting important investments in our people and our future.
 
“Democrats offered earlier this year, and will continue to offer, budget blueprints for America that have the right priorities for our country, invest in critical programs, and bring balance back to our nation's budget.
 
“We believe voters will reject Republicans' fiscal irresponsibility and misguided priorities next year.  And that together, America can do better.”

###