|
Boasting balanced budgets |
|
Friday, 03 April 2009 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Staff Writer
An area legislator said his alternative Congressional budget secures America’s future and protects its interests more effectively than his Democratic counterparts’ proposals.
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, Thursday introduced an alternative budget on the House floor. The measure would balance the budget by reducing spending by 1 percent a year for a decade, Jordan said.
“This economic crisis is not an excuse for outlandish and unnecessary federal spending,” Jordan said in a teleconference with regional media. “In fact, it should be an opportunity for us to tighten our belts and instill some fiscal responsibility in the budget. Americans are demanding that Congress stop the spending spree that will continue our country down a path towards a fiscal train wreck.”
Jordan chastised Democrats, including President Barack Obama, for proposing a bloated and pork-filled spending measure in the wake of a recession. Jordan said Congress should instead be focusing on gaining a control on spending to reduce the deficit.
“Spending leads to higher taxes,” Jordan said. “Spending also leads to more borrowing and we are doing great harm to future generations of Americans.”
Jordan said the Obama budget would double the national debt and take it to $20 trillion. Jordan also criticized the cap and trade policy that could drive up energy costs across Ohio.
“To pay that off, we will have to hit zero and have a $1 trillion surplus for 20 years,” Jordan said. “It sets money aside for a cap and trade proposal, which will be a huge tax on every American and disproportionately impacts Ohio. The 4th Congressional District would be the fourth hardest hit in the country as a
esult. That’s just what we need — an additional burden placed on the manufacturing sector.”
Jordan said his counterproposal would hold the line on spending as well as offer increases in spending for Medicare and Medicaid based upon the rates of inflation and economic growth. The proposal also leaves funding for Social Security intact.
“It does scale back discretionary spending,” Jordan said of his proposal. “We keep defense spending at the level the president set and we don’t do anything to cut veterans’ benefits.”
|
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 07 April 2009 )
|
