Fiscal Sanity

FISCAL SANITY -- (House of Representatives - October 19, 2005)

(Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, as a fiscal conservative, I rise today in relief that the Democrats have not been able to have their way with the Federal checkbook.

In fact, if they would have had their way with spending, a new report by the House Committee on Appropriations released yesterday shows they would have increased spending by more than $60 billion over the past 3 years.

Before our Nation faced the challenges of the recent hurricanes, our Nation was on track to produce more and our government was spending less. In fact, last year Congress held nonsecurity discretionary spending to a 1 percent growth rate, far below inflation and the previous 5-year average growth of 6 percent. And last year, Congress held nonsecurity discretionary spending to a 1.4 percent growth rate, less than inflation and a major reduction from previous years.

Democrats, on the other hand, have no plan to reduce the deficit. While they complain about budget deficits, they propose billions more in new spending. Their only answer is to raise taxes in order to have more money to spend. That is not good for the family checkbook or the American economy.

Madam Speaker, I ask my Democratic colleagues to join me in restoring fiscal sanity. In 1997 the House passed a deficit-reduction bill with 153 Democrat votes that saved billions. They should join us in a similar move now.

http://thomas.loc.gov