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Wilson Supports Commonsense Plan to Tackle Runaway Government Spending

July 22, 2009
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2009

Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) issued the following statement today after voting to support a Republican plan that would ensure federal spending does not grow faster than the economy, establishes a plan to reduce the deficit, and avoids job killing tax increases.

“Republicans stood up for fiscal responsibility today and presented Congress with a plan that would address both mandatory and discretionary spending and establish firm, enforceable rules to restore fiscal sanity to Washington. Our plan gives a strong set of tools to Congress, so that we can rein in the spending that threatens this generation and future generations with an insurmountable debt. Congress was given a clear choice on whether to support the Republican plan or endorse a Democrat PAYGO scheme that lacks the teeth necessary to do what its supporters claim.

“Democrat’s claim that their bill is simple: when you spend a dollar you save a dollar. Of course, under their proposal, this does not apply to the 40% of annual spending that qualifies as discretionary. Republicans, on the other hand, include caps on discretionary spending in our proposal because we’ve seen a Democrat budget for next year alone that is set to increase nondefense discretionary spending by 8.9% over last year on top of the 25% spending increases included in their non-stimulus and omnibus spending bills passed earlier this year.

“When confronted with the tremendous spending perpetrated on their watch and the empty rhetoric and loopholes found in their PAYGO scheme, Democrats want to look back and place blame wherever possible – as if past spending justifies their trillion dollar deficits. The American people want and deserve leadership going forward so we can, as a nation, get our fiscal house in order.”

Background:

  • The Republican proposal establishes caps on budget deficits; ensures total spending does not grow faster than our economy; and, rejects the use of tax hikes to avoid making tough budgetary decisions.
  • The Democrat scheme does not apply to discretionary spending which accounts for 40% of our annual budget.
  • The PAYGO promises that have been made previously by the Democrats have failed to keep deficits down. The annual budget deficit under Democrat control has ballooned from $162 billion in 2007 to an estimated $1.8 trillion by the end of this year. That’s a 1,035.8%, increase to the federal deficit since Democrats introduced their PAYGO scheme in 2007.

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