Taxes and Spending

Return to Issues

Congress needs to manage their spending just like many hard-working, honest families and businesses back in Michigan who work every day towards maintaining their responsible bottom lines.

 

 

For too many years, Congress has acted irresponsibly by spending and taxing too much and fostering an economic environment that stifles job creation.  If our country is to get our economy back on track, we need to begin promoting reforms that embrace fiscal discipline, lower taxes and smaller government.  Below are some of my priorities to help get congressional spending and our nation’s economy back on track:

Simplify the Tax Code – Our federal tax code has become too complex and outdated.  We need to revise our tax code so it is simpler, fairer, rewards innovation and investment and delivers permanent tax relief under the 2001 and the 2003 tax cuts passed by Congress.

Balance the Budget – I support an amendment, H.J.Res. 1, to the Constitution that requires Congress not spend more than it receives in revenues, require a 3/5 majority vote to increase the debt limit and require the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress.

Reduce Tax Burden – America needs to distance itself from a tax system that seeks to raise taxes on hard-working American families and job-creators.  We need to develop a tax code that is simpler and encourages investment.

Get Rid of Government Waste – Congress needs to do a better job of identifying and stopping funding for ineffective programs that have lost their intended purpose or impact.

Line-Item Veto – We need to give the President the authority to single out wasteful spending items in legislation and send these specific line-items back to Congress for an up-or-down vote on whether to drop funding for these items.

Steps taken during the 112^th Congress:
- Passage of H.R. 4 repealed the onerous 1099 reporting requirement in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) for businesses to provide an annual Form 1099-MISC statement to both any recipient of payments for goods or service in excess of $600 and to the IRS.
- Supported and voted for H.R. 2560, Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, which would put into place statutory, enforceable caps to ratchet down the amount the government is allowed to spend each year, bringing spending into line with the historic average of 20% of GDP by 2021.
- Voted to reduce taxes by $88.3 billion over ten years, reduce mandatory spending by $63.1 billion over ten years, and lower discretionary spending budget authority caps by $29 billion over ten years.

VIDEO

07/13/2012 - President & Senate Failing to Adequately Address Struggling Economy
11/16/2011 - Rep. Walberg Questions Government Regulator, Fannie and Freddie CEOs on Bonuses
10/04/2011 - Rep. Walberg Addresses Waste, Fraud and Abuse in Government Contracts
08/01/2011 - Rep. Walberg House Floor Speech on Debt Crisis
06/02/2011 - Floor Speech Against a Blank Check on Spending

09/14/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes for No More Solyndras Act, Protects Taxpayer Dollars
09/04/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Calls for Reduced Spending as National Debt Hits $16 Trillion
08/01/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes to Stop Tax Hike
07/27/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Introduces Legislation to Lower Taxes for Individuals & Small Businesses
07/25/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes to Audit the Fed
05/16/2012 - Opinion Editorial: Federal Government Still Not Addressing Its Spending Addiction
04/19/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes for Small Business Tax Cut
04/12/2012 - Opinion Editorial: Republicans in Congress are Trying to Spend Federal Government Money Responsibly
01/24/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Remarks on Senate's Failure to Pass a Budget
12/20/2011 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Fights For Working Families
12/16/2011 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes Against Government Funding Bill
12/13/2011 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes For Middle Class Tax Relief
11/18/2011 - Press Release: Rep. Walberg Votes For Balanced Budget Amendment
08/01/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Comments on Debt Ceiling Vote Plan Includes $2.1T in Cuts and a Vote on the Balanced Budget
07/29/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Comments on the Budget Control Act
07/20/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Votes for Cut, Cap, and Balance Budget Proposal
07/11/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Comments on Debt Ceiling Talks
05/31/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Votes Against Blank Check Debt Limit Increase
05/19/2011 - Article of Interest: Pile of debt would stretch beyond stratosphere
04/13/2011 - Co-Sponsored Legislation: H.J.Res 1, the Balanced Budget Amendment
04/05/2011 - Article of Interest: The GOP Path to Prosperity
03/30/2011 - Co-Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 1259, Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act
03/29/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Votes to Eliminate Another Ineffective Program
03/03/2011 - Co-Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 920, Zero Baseline Budget Act
02/20/2011 - Article of Interest: Federal, state and local debt hits post-WWII levels
02/17/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Amendment to Save Taxpayer Funds Passes House
02/14/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Responds to President's Budge