Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) today issued the following statement during the Republican Study Committee’s press conference to announce a budget proposal that will balance the federal budget in five years. The congressman’s statement is below:
“This budget proposal makes me proud to be a conservative. Today, my colleagues at the Republican Study Committee – the conservatives in the House – are boldly stepping up to the plate and offering real solutions to a budget that is spiraling out of control.”
“This is a strong plan that maintains our commitment to national defense, our veterans and Social Security. It cuts foreign aid to our enemies, reforms out-of-control entitlement programs, ensures pro-growth tax cuts and balances the budget in five years. This is what we’re about as conservatives.”
“The Democrats are screaming about our national debt, and what’s their solution? Raise your taxes and increase government spending. Republicans are committed to cutting taxes and cutting spending to balance our budget.”
“They believe leadership is about words and rhetoric. We know leadership is about action and results. That’s the fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans – they talk and we lead.”
Members of the RSC plan to offer their budget proposal on the House floor later this month as a conservative alternative to this year's proposed budget. Several key aspects of the budget are:
- Balancing the budget by 2011
- $358 billion in savings from reforming entitlement programs
- Pro-growth tax policies
- Fully meeting the President's request for defense spending
- Reducing foreign aid by $31 billion
- Restructuring of the Departments of Education, Energy, and Commerce
- Reforming the budget process to make it harder for Congress to increase spending
- Calling for earmark reform and a constitutional line item veto
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