Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday regarding the need to reduce Washington spending:

“Later today, the House of Representatives will take an important vote.

“At bottom, it’s a vote on whether lawmakers in Washington should continue to be exempt from the rules.

“Over the past two years, millions of Americans have lost jobs and homes. Tragically, many have stopped looking for work altogether. They think the situation won’t improve.

“And when one considers how Democrats in Washington have responded to this historic jobs crisis, it’s no wonder.

“For two years, Democrats in Washington have pushed one proposal after another that has kept the economy from growing and stifled the creation of good private-sector jobs.  

“They’ve tried to tax energy consumption. They’ve picked winners and losers in industry. They’ve handcuffed small business owners with a mountain of stifling regulations, including a health care bill that non-partisan experts predict could lead to hundreds of thousands of more lost jobs. And earlier this month, at a time when economists say rising gas prices could delay an economic recovery even longer, Democrats proposed — get this — a change in the current tax laws that would amount to a new tax on everyone who drives a car or truck in America, a minivan tax.

“So while the American people have been begging lawmakers to remove the burdens of government, so they can do the work of growing the economy and creating private sector jobs, Democrats in Washington have been focused single-mindedly on growing government instead.

“And in order to do it, they’ve basically exempted themselves from the rules. They’ve said that while the rest of the country has had to tighten its belt in a down economy, Washington can continue on its spending binge in order to grow the government.

“They’ve said that while American families have had to pay off their credit cards, Washington can continue to rack up debt.

“They’ve said that while most Americans struggle to make ends meet, they don’t have to. That’s what this afternoon’s vote in the House is about.

“This bill should not be controversial. It’s only become controversial because Democrat leaders in Congress have resisted every effort to rein in their spending binge.

“This bill proposes to cut spending for the next two weeks by four billion dollars. And they’ve fought it tooth and nail. They refuse to admit that Washington has a spending problem.

“But the verdict is in. For two years, Democrats in Washington have spent trillions more than we had in the Treasury. And if expanding the size and scope of government was the goal, it was a big success.

“But if helping the economy and helping people find jobs was the goal, it’s been a disaster. What has three trillion dollars more in debt gotten us? Three million more lost jobs.

“Tonight’s vote is an opportunity for House Democrats to admit the status quo isn’t working. It’s a chance to take a small first step toward growing the economy and helping create jobs. And then later this week, Democrats in the Senate will have the same opportunity to show they get it.

“Americans are watching. They want us to acknowledge that we need to play by the same rules they do. They want us to tighten our belts too, and show we’re in this together.”