Reed Disappointed by President Obama’s 2012 Budget; Calls Proposed Spending Increases a "Non-Starter"

Congressman Tom Reed today called President Obama’s proposed 2012 budget "disappointing."  Reed cited increased spending and increased taxes in the $3.8 trillion proposal as reasons why he cannot support the budget. 

"We’re on the road to national bankruptcy and we’re given a budget that spends at the highest level of GDP since World War II?" Reed asked.

"We’re grappling with making very difficult cuts in the remainder of 2011 because it is the responsible thing to do for future generations," Reed continued. "To see increased spending proposed for 2012 is a non-starter and a denial of the perilous state of the nation’s finances." The President’s proposal represents a 24 percent increase in non-defense discretionary spending since 2008 (before the failed stimulus).

"The long term security of the United States is more important than politics or 2012 elections," Reed declared. "We have to take our heads out of the sand and begin dealing with the problem."

Reed also reiterated opposition to tax increases.  "The economy in upstate New York continues to lag. Tax increases on businesses and entrepreneurs are the last thing that will help small cities and rural areas recover." The President’s budget proposes more than $1.6 trillion in new income, death, and transportation taxes over the next 10 years.

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