“Growing Our Economy Requires Fiscal Restraint;

Balancing the Budget Isn’t a Liberal or Conservative Issue”

Washington, DC – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement tonight in response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech:

“While I am encouraged by many portions of the President’s speech – and I remain hopeful that tonight will prove to be a turning point in getting Congress and the White House on the same page in dealing with our nation’s challenges – I would have preferred to see the President display a greater commitment to using free-market solutions to revive our economy and put our fiscal house in order.

“As we saw on November 2, the American people are not satisfied with the status quo, and continuing the ‘spend, borrow, and bailout’ policies of the past two years is irresponsible and unsustainable.  After 20 straight months of at least 9% unemployment – the longest streak since the Great Depression - we need to create a climate where small businesses have the confidence to grow and create jobs again – a climate that requires repealing and replacing the government takeover of health care and putting our fiscal house in order.

“In the ‘Pledge to America,’ House Republicans showed they were listening to the American people by promising to roll back federal spending to Fiscal Year 2008 levels or less.  We are on course to keep that pledge.  We should also pass a pair of Constitutional amendments - one that would limit federal spending as a percentage of the U.S. economy (GDP) and another that would require a balanced budget every year.

“Balancing the budget isn’t a liberal or conservative issue.  When families in Eastern Washington balance their budgets, they don’t consider it a liberal or conservative policy; it’s just a requirement of life.  And if the President will join us in that attitude as part of a ‘new spirit of cooperation,’ I know we can make great progress on reducing the deficit and improving the economy in 2011.”

To listen to an audio recording of this release, click here.

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