RSC Republican Study Committee

RSC Sunset Caucus

Rep. Kevin Brady & Rep. Jason Chaffetz

Co-Chairs

Sunset – to provide for the permanent elimination, de-funding, or repeal of a federal program, agency, or department at a date certain.

The RSC Sunset Caucus is a new, permanent subset of the Republican Study Committee committed to protecting taxpayers and shrinking the size of government – one wasteful, duplicative, or unnecessary program at a time.

As federal deficits surge, the American people are looking for people to match word with deed and shrink the size of government with real action.  The RSC Sunset Caucus seeks to aggregate the efforts of Members committed to working to eliminate needless federal programs.

Each member of the RSC Sunset Caucus will:

• Adopt one or more federal program they believe has outlived its usefulness or never should have been enacted.
• Publicly champion the repeal or de-funding of the program(s).
• Offer an amendment during the relevant appropriations bill to defund the program(s).
• Introduce stand alone legislation to sunset the targeted program(s).

Just how overgrown has government gotten?

• The deficit has increased by $1.678 trillion or 1,035.8% in the little more than two years since the Democrats took control of the Congress.
• The President’s budget calls for the public debt to double within five years and to triple within ten years.
• This year’s deficit is projected to be $1.84 trillion—four times the next highest deficit in U.S. history.
• The federal government will borrow 46 cents for every dollar it spends in FY 2009.
• The Democrats, in just two years, have presided over a $8.6 trillion deterioration in the country’s budget outlook—from a projected ten-year surplus of $800 billion in January 2007, to projected deficits (over the same period) of $7.8 trillion.

“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth.” – President Ronald Reagan

The launch of this caucus is an important step to help the American people take back control of their government.

Additional Information:
Sunset Caucus Summary
Membership Responsibilities
RSC Press Release
Chairman Price Announces the Sunset Caucus

Support from the American Conservative Union
Support from the National Taxpayers Union

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