McConnell: ‘Congress Is On A Remarkable Spending Binge'

Press Release

McConnell: ‘Congress Is On A Remarkable Spending Binge'

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding the Budget and how it spends too much:

"Yesterday, I noted that in the middle of the current economic crisis, the administration's Budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much, focusing primarily on the fact that it spends too much. This morning I'd like to expand a little bit more on that.

"As I noted yesterday, the current Congress is on a remarkable spending binge. In the first 50 days of the new administration, Congress has approved more than $1.2 trillion in spending, which translates into $24 billion a day, or $1 billion every hour since Inauguration Day.

"The Budget continues that trend.

"Earlier this week, Congress approved a government spending bill that increased spending from by 8% over last year, about double the rate of inflation. And now the Budget proposes another spending increase over last year's budget of at least another 8%.

"A lot of people are wondering why, in the midst of a recession, when millions of Americans are losing jobs and homes, the administration is proposing to spend tax dollars like we're in the middle of the Dot Com boom.

"According to the administration's Budget plan, the State Department sees a 41% increase in spending next year. HUD sees an 18% percent increase.

"The Budget also proposes a "slush fund" for Climate Policy that will be larger than the entire annual budgets at the Departments of Labor, Treasury, or Interior.

"Americans want reforms in education, healthcare, energy, and other areas. But they want the administration to fix the economy first. That's the first priority. And at this point, we seem to be getting proposals on everything but the financial crisis, which continues to cripple the economy.

"This budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much. But if we want to earn the confidence of the American people for our programs and plans, the first thing we need to get under control is spending."

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