Fiscal Responsibility
Over the years, Democrats have shown our commitment to restoring fiscal responsibility by taking actions that have reduced our national deficit while investing in the American people’s priorities. During the 117th Congress, House Democrats delivered the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which will reduce the deficit by over $300 billion while lowering health care and energy costs and taking action on climate change. In sharp contrast, Republicans jammed their 2017 Trump Tax Scam through Congress without a single hearing, gifting trillions of dollars in unpaid-for tax handouts to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations while leaving our nation with ballooning deficits. They have repeatedly held our economy hostage to benefit their irresponsible ideological agenda, whether creating artificial “fiscal cliffs,” shutting down the government, or bringing our nation to the brink of defaulting on its obligations. With other landmark legislation delivered during the 117th Congress, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the CHIPS and Science Act, Democrats have worked to invest in economic recovery, job creation, all while cutting the deficit in half last year. Democrats are committed to continuing our work to restore sound, long-term fiscal management so future generations can afford to invest in opportunities, secure the American Dream, and ensure workers have the tools to Make It In America.
Today, House Republicans are releasing their budget for fiscal year 2012. Budgets are about priorities and values, and the Republican budget makes all the wrong choices. Democrats believe we must reduce spending, while protecting investments that create jobs, grow the economy and strengthen American competitiveness. Just like the Republican Spending Bill, the Republican budget rejects America’s top priorities and fundamental values by cutting investments that allow us to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our competitors.
April fool's, America. This is a joke, America. This is not real, America. As a matter of fact, Mr. Woodall of Georgia says it's not real; it's not going to pass the Senate. He made that very clear. The Majority Leader just said if the Senate won't take what we give them we're going to shut down the government. That's what he just said. And that's what I believe to be the case.
The Obama administration on Thursday outlined a new approach to medical care that it said could mean higher quality and less risk for patients, while also saving millions of dollars for taxpayers.
Democrats agree that we must reduce spending, but we must do so without costing jobs and undermining our economic recovery. But Speaker Boehner said today that Republicans “are going to fight for H.R. 1,” a bill that non-partisan experts say threatens jobs and American competitiveness.
In 1998, as a Republican Congress was struggling to compromise with a Democratic president on a budget bill, a Member of the House rose to speak to what he called ‘the Perfectionist Caucus’—those Members who stood against compromise under any circumstances. Here’s what he said: ‘Now, my fine friends who are perfectionists, each in their own world, where they are petty dictators, could write a perfect bill….It would be about 2,200 of their particular projects and their particular interests and their particular goodies taking care of their particular states. But that is not the way life works in a free society….In a free society, where we are sharing power between the legislative and executive branch, [compromise] is precisely the outcome we should expect to get.
Continuing to fund the government in week by week increments is inefficient, costly to taxpayers and creates uncertainty in the public and private sector. Democrats stand ready to make smart, targeted cuts that will not undermine economic growth and American competitiveness. With conservative Republicans refusing to negotiate, it’s clear that Republican leadership should work with Democrats to pass a compromise measure – without extreme social policy riders that do not belong in this funding measure – so that we can reduce spending while protecting investments that will grow the economy and create jobs.
Over the course of the next three weeks, Democrats and Republicans must work together to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Democrats have shown that we are willing to cut spending as long as it does not hurt our economy or cost jobs. I hope Republicans show a similar willingness to compromise and work with us. They cannot insist on extreme social policy riders that have no place in a debate on spending cuts, and they must come down from their reckless and economically damaging demand for $100 billion in spending cuts. After this week’s vote in the House, it is clear that if Republicans do not insist on inflammatory riders and make targeted and smart spending cuts, we will be able to reach a compromise.
Some veteran Republican House members are pushing back against conservative deficit hawks who are pushing for endlessly deep spending cuts, saying the right wing of the party is creating unnecessary divisions for the GOP majority.
The House of Representatives passed emergency legislation Tuesday to keep the government funded through mid-April and avoid a shutdown reminiscent of the one Newt Gingrich triggered back in 1995.
The House gave grudging approval on Tuesday to a plan to finance the federal government for three more weeks, even as dozens of Republicans broke with their leadership and opposed the stopgap legislation.