FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

CONTACT: Dan Farough
Office: (248) 273-4227

PETERS TO REPUBLICAN LEADERS: ALLOW ALL IDEAS TO CUT SPENDING

Peters Introduces Amendments to Republican Rules Package to Promote Spending Cuts & Transparency

(Washington, DC) -- Representative Gary Peters (MI-9) today called for the incoming Republican leadership to allow any member of Congress to propose ideas to reduce spending – and to guarantee that amendments that cut spending will get a full vote in the House of Representatives.

When the new session of Congress meets today for the first time, Republican leaders are expected to adopt a set of rules that could make it harder for Democrats to introduce amendments to new legislation.

“Cutting spending and reducing the deficit are not partisan issues, and the Republican leadership should allow every member of Congress, regardless of political party, to propose ideas to cut spending,” said Peters. “We hear a lot of rhetoric about the need for reduced spending, but it is rare to see anyone propose specific spending cuts. My amendment would make it easier for Members of either party with concrete ideas for deficit reduction to bring their amendments to the floor for debate.”

Under the proposed Republican plan for governing the House of Representatives, any amendment to any bill – even if it cuts spending and reduces the deficit – would first have to be approved by the Republican leadership before reaching the full House for a vote.

In contrast, Representative Peters’ plan would guarantee that any member of Congress could offer amendments to cut spending as part of any bill – ensuring that Republican leaders could not use procedural rules to defeat Democratic ideas to reduce federal spending.

Peters’ concerns about spending are well-founded. When Republicans controlled the House of Representatives and the White House, from 2000 to 2006, spending ballooned out of control and the federal budget fell from a $86.4 billion surplus to a $434.49 billion deficit (Source: Office of Management and Budget).

In his first term in Congress, Peters took the lead on reining in the federal deficit. Peters created the Congressional Spending Cuts and Deficit Working Group and authored legislation to cut billions of dollars in wasteful spending from the federal budget.

Transparency and Accountability

Peters is also pushing for unprecedented transparency and accountability in the House of Representatives itself. On Wednesday, Peters proposed a new rule that would require every Member of Congress to post his or her office budget and expenses online.

Currently, members of Congress are required to publicly disclose how their offices spend taxpayer money, but the quarterly expense reports are often difficult for most Americans to find. Peters wants the reports to be posted online – with clear links from each Congressional website – to allow constituents to hold their Representatives accountable.

In his first year in Congress, Peters ran his office so efficiently that he came in $135,000 under budget. Peters then wrote and passed legislation in the House to ensure that any unused funds from Congressional offices will be used to reduce the deficit.

Congressman Peters proposed amendments to House Rules are attached, along with letters that Peters sent to incoming House Speaker John Boehner and House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier.

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