PatrickMcHenry

Federal Budget & Government Oversight

The federal budget has been mismanaged for too long.  President Bush did not adequately control non-defense discreationary spending.  Under President Obama, the federal budget is sprialing dangerously out of control.

Believing that government can simply spend its way back to prosperity is dangerously simplistic and misguided.  The President's budget increased spending by $1 trillion in just one year.  That is enough money to pay off the credit card debt of every American.  This year's budget compiles a national debt larger than the total amount of debt accumulated by the federal government from 1789 to 2008.  Paying it off will require enomous tax increases on current and future generations of working Americans.

As a member of the House Budget Committee, Congressman McHenry supports a fiscally-responsible approach to budgeting.  We should cut, save, and incentivize economic growth instead of the usual tax, spend, and borrow approach.  The budget that Congressman McHenry supported would have held the line on discretionary spending and prioritized investment in projects that truly stimulate economic growth.  That balanced budget did not raise taxes or cut veterans health care and defense programs.

The Congressman is co-sponsoring the Federal Sunset Act of 2009 that would phase out ineffective and outdated government spending programs. He has also co-sponsored a bill to ensure government neutrality in contracting, which would put an end to union-based federal construction projects and would save taxpayers billions.

The government watchdog group, Citizens Against Government Waste, rates Patrick McHenry as a "Taxpayer Hero."