WASHINGTON, DC . . . Today, Rep. Ralph Hall (TX-04) voted in support of H.R. 1871, The Baseline Reform Act, which passed the House 230-185. This vote followed H.R. 1872, The Budget and Accounting Transparency Act, which Rep. Hall voted for yesterday and which passed the House 230-165. Both bills work to reduce the national debt and promote budget transparency within the federal government in an effort to create opportunity for job growth.

“I believe in a balanced budget and that Americans have a right to know how their tax dollars are spent,” said Hall. “Unfortunately, under this Administration, we have seen a dramatic increase in federal spending accompanied by an unprecedented lack of transparency. These bills address this issue by adopting the same standards as the private sector and forcing Washington to admit its out-of-control spending. In doing so, we can begin to rein in the budget and practice responsible spending. This in turn will create a pro-jobs, pro-growth environment that Americans need.”

“As a longtime supporter of the Balanced Budget Amendment, these are commonsense steps to get our country back on track.”

The Baseline Reform Act removes the automatic inflationary adjustment to discretionary spending. By removing the automatic increase for inflation, the bill saves taxpayers an initial $1.2 trillion over ten years.

The Budget and Accounting Transparency Act increases transparency by ensuring the full cost of federal credit programs is included in the President’s annual budget. In addition to the budget accounting reform, this bill requires agencies to make public all documents they prepared in support of requests for taxpayer dollars.

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