The Senate must act to cut spending

By Congressman Bob Goodlatte
R-6th Congressional District
April 1, 2011

It’s been over forty days since the House of Representatives took a major step in getting Washington’s fiscal house back in order by passing H.R. 1, a bill which is $61 billion below last year’s spending level and $100 billion below the President’s request this year. This legislation, which passed with my strong support, is needed to continue operation of the federal government through the end of this fiscal year. The continuing resolution reflects Washington’s need to make tough decisions about spending priorities, cutting wasteful programs, and respecting taxpayers’ wallets. However, the U.S. Senate has failed to act on this or any other legislation which makes significant cuts to the out-of-control government spending.

The cuts contained in the House-passed long term Continuing Resolution represent tough choices, but we must take these necessary actions in order to protect the future of our country. Many federal programs have received funding increases over the last several years that outpaced both inflation and the growth of the American family budget. A thorough and careful review of all our federal agencies and programs must be done to root out any waste, fraud and abuse. We made a good start on that process with this bill and now the Senate must complete their work. It’s time for Washington to stop spending money we don’t have.

In an attempt to spur the Senate to finally pass a bill funding the government for the rest of the year, the House passed with my strong support, the Government Shutdown Prevention Act. We are hopeful that this proposal will urge the Senate to act instead of playing politics with a shutdown. Additionally, the Government Shutdown Prevention Act provides that, in the event of a government shutdown that lasts longer than 24 hours or the limitation on the debt of the United States being reached, Members of both the House and Senate and the President will not receive paychecks for as long as the condition persists.

It is essential that the federal government work to both eliminate every cent of waste and squeeze every cent of value out of each dollar our citizens entrust to it. I have consistently supported measures to rein in the federal budget and curb spending by voting for the tightest budgets and spending bills possible. I will continue working hard to bring fiscal responsibility back to Washington by supporting the largest possible spending cuts and I call on the members of the Senate to do the same. Ultimately, we must make the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget and pass a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, helping to assure that future governments live within their means.

To contact me about this or any other matter, please visit my website at www.goodlatte.house.gov.