This past week House Republicans continued to take action to bring real change to Washington by passing a long term budget plan for 2012 and beyond, which stops spending money we don’t have, lifts our crushing debt burden, and helps promote job creation.
With $14 trillion in debt, $1.6 trillion in deficit spending, and the fact that we are borrowing over 40 cents on every dollar we spend, it is critical that we begin to take the necessary steps to reduce government spending so that we can tackle our debt, grow the economy, and create jobs for Fifth District Virginians.
Following my vote in favor of the House Republicans’ “Path to Prosperity” budget blueprint, I released the following statement:
By failing to adopt a budget last year, the Democrat Congress allowed Washington’s reckless spending to go unchecked, adding trillions to our debt and deficits. Despite our dire debt crisis, the President’s budget proposal for 2012 continues to put our country on an unsustainable path. It increases our spending and borrowing, nearly doubling our debt over the next decade, imposes $1.5 trillion in new job-destroying taxes on families and small businesses, and fails to take any action to preserve our health and retirement programs.
The House Republican budget proposal, however, is an honest, straightforward, and responsible approach to the serious fiscal challenges that face the 5th District and our nation, and leads where both Congressional Democrats and the President have previously and continuously failed.hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434)-395-0120.
Delivering on the message sent by Central and Southside Virginians to return fiscal discipline and restraint to Washington, the Republicans’ ‘Path to Prosperity’ budget is an important first step that cuts spending, reduces our debt and deficits, spurs job creation and economic growth, and strengthens and protects our health and retirement programs.
The proposal begins to balance the budget and pay down the debt by cutting $6.2 trillion in government spending and reducing the deficit by $4.4 trillion over the next decade and reining in government spending to 20 percent of the economy by 2017. It repeals and defunds the government takeover of health care and prevents and eliminates trillions in tax increases at a time when the people of the 5th District can least afford it. And it seeks to save our health and retirement programs for both this generation and the next, while ensuring there is no change in benefits for those at or near retirement.
As House Republicans continue to take the necessary steps to get our fiscal house in order to foster a better environment for job growth, it is my hope that all of us in Washington can come together and work to address these important issues so that we can leave our children and grandchildren with an even more prosperous America.
Robert Hurt represents the Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives.