Congressman Geoff Davis : Serving Kentucky's Fourth District

Washington, Nov 29 - Budgets are all about choices.  It is the responsibility of any small business owner to map out a budget and make the tough decisions in order to successfully grow their business.  Likewise, it is incumbent upon individuals and families to ensure they do not spend more than they have coming in each month.

When a business or family ends up deeply in debt, they must make and follow through with a plan to meet their obligations and restore their budget to balance.

So, why is it that the federal government has exempted itself from this common sense responsibility of budgeting and laying out a plan?

As you may recall, in July, I wrote a column discussing President Obama’s warning when he said, “Next year, when I start presenting some very difficult choices to the country, I hope some of these folks who are hollering about deficits and debt step up.  Because I'm calling their bluff.”

Just as I said in July, this raises the question as to whose bluff the President is calling and why wait to make these tough choices until next year?  The time to act is now.  The American people made it clear when they went to the polls on Election Day that they want representatives who are willing to take action on real solutions to Washington’s spending problems.

Over the last six months, my Republican colleagues and I have offered nearly $155 billion in cuts chosen by voters through YouCut to change the culture of runaway spending.  YouCut allows the American people to vote on targeted spending cuts that we then bring to the House floor every week that Congress has been in session.  These cuts have included terminating the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and eliminating taxpayer funding of National Public Radio (NPR). 

Weeks after a historic election, the Democratic Majority in the House has continued to vote against sensible YouCut proposals while failing to offer any alternatives.  To make matters worse, under Speaker Pelosi’s direction, the House of Representatives failed to pass a budget this year for the first time since 1974.

A clear message was sent by the American people to Washington this November.  Eighty-five new Republicans were elected to the House of Representatives courtesy of fed up taxpayers, small business owners and American families.  Among these members, thirty-three come to the table with small business experience and, as Representative-Elect Austin Scott [GA-8] has pointed out, “know what it is like to sign the front of a paycheck, not just the back of one.”

Moving forward, we must make it a major priority to get federal spending under control.  The massive federal debt (now $13.6 trillion) and the unsustainable deficits (nearly $1.29 trillion in the fiscal year that ended on September 30^th) is a drag on our economic growth and could be a threat to our national security.

My Republican colleagues and I have put forth a plan in the Pledge to America to start getting Washington’s spending problem under control.  The first step must be to revert federal spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, which will save about $100 billion almost immediately.  In addition to across the board spending reductions, we will also continue the YouCut program to single out programs and other specific spending areas that are not a good use of limited taxpayer dollars.  Additionally, we must move forward with a constitutional amendment requiring the federal government to balance the budget on an annual basis.

Congress must also implement a federal budget that will serve as a blueprint for our plan to curb government spending, lower taxes for working families and put our nation back on the path to fiscal stability and economic growth.

The 112^th Congress will convene on January 3^rd facing many opportunities and tremendous responsibility to put an end to job killing policies, end the runaway spending and realign our priorities.  I urge you to continue speaking out about your thoughts on getting out nation back on track.  The new Republican Majority in the House is listening and we will build a new way forward together that will ensure stability for future generations. 

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