Fiscal Responsibility

As a former small business owner, I believe our federal government shouldn’t spend money it doesn’t have. Southern Arizonans know that the record deficit we face today is a direct consequence of the failed, short-sighted fiscal policies of the last decade. Too many Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are playing games with the debt, instead of making a serious effort at fiscal reform. We can’t afford to wait any longer to put our fiscal house in order.

Fighting for Earmark Reform

I am fighting for earmark reform and working to curb pork-barrel spending. That is why I wrote legislation banning lawmakers from taking campaign contributions from the same top executives who they also request earmarks for. This practice is wide spread in Washington, and it is truly unacceptable. I was also one of the first Members of Congress to post all earmark requests online for greater transparency and accountability.

I do not accept earmark requests from for-profit entitiies. It was my example and leadership that helped the House of Representatives aopt this standard across the board. >>READ MORE

Opposing Pay Raises for Congress

In these tough times, it’s just wrong for Congress to give itself a pay raise. That’s why I have voted against all salary increases for Members of Congress and has never given out bonuses to Congressional staff. >>READ MORE

Establishing a Bipartisan Commission to Reduce the Deficit

I was one of the leading advocates for establishing a bipartisan debt commission with the authority to force Congress’ hand in making the tough decisions necessary to end wasteful spending and put the country back on track. The commission would recommend ways to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid while reducing the debt burden for future generations. The President recently created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which will report by December 1, 2010 on ways to balance the budget and improve our long-term fiscal outlook. >>READ MORE

Holding Irresponsible Companies Accountable

I voted to audit the Federal Reserve to find out exactly how bailout funds were distributed. I believe that we need to hold these companies accountable. And I supported laws requiring big banks and Wall Street to pay back 100% of any taxpayer funds they received, including returning CEO bonuses. >>READ MORE

Pay-As-You-Go

I have been fighting to reduce the deficit since the day I arrived in Washington.  That's why I am a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition in Congress. This 54 member democratic coalition is committed to restoring responsible spending in Washington and we've worked hard to bring back the budget rules of the 1990s which helped turned then record deficits into record surpluses.

I cosponsored and supported the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, which the President signed into law on February 13, 2010.  This bill reestablishes the pay-as-you-go budgeting rules, known as PAYGO, this legislation requires any new spending initiatives to be paid for; if they are not offset, automatic cuts are triggered.  The passage of this bill was a good first step in getting the federal government back to the common sense practice of paying for what we buy. >>READ MORE

Opposing Increases of the Debt Limit

Congress has raised the debt limit eight times since 2001.   Skyrocketing deficits are taking us down a path to mushrooming debt that will have serious real-world consequences.  In 2008, American taxpayers paid more than $250 billion to our creditors in interest payments alone, and each citizen’s share of the debt was more than $38,000.  Clearly, we can no longer tolerate reckless fiscal polices.

That is why I voted against increasing the nation’s debt limit in December 2009 and again in February 2010.

The Truth in Spending Act

In July, I introduced the Truth in Spending Act, a bill that would force Congress to abide by the published costs of the legislation it passes. The legislation would require the Office of Management and Budget to check cost estimates for legislation five and 10 years after laws take effect to determine the accuracy of the predictions.

When costs are higher or savings lower than predicted, the Truth in Spending Act would create a fast-track process to reduce excess costs. This legislation would not only cover future laws. Legislation passed from 2005 to the present also would be included.

>>READ my letter to the bipartisan debt commission.