Issue Position: Budget

Issue Position

My Agenda:

- Defeat Speaker Pelosi's budget proposal that, in total, is the single largest tax increase ever proposed in the history of the United States, a $3,000 per taxpayer tax increase

- Putting an end to pork-filled, all-in-one budgets that pass Congress months after budget deadlines

- Reduce government spending

- Eliminate wasteful programs and pork-barrel spending

- Pass Line-Item Veto legislation

Commitment to fiscal discipline needed

Right now Michigan families are paying well over $4 for gas, health care costs are going up and folks are struggling to pay off college tuition and college loans. The bottom line is Michiganders are tightening their belts in order to make ends meet. So why isn't the federal government doing the same?

The honest truth is not everyone in Washington is working towards reducing or even keeping steady the size and scope of the federal government. While many Republicans in Congress have learned from their bloated budgets of the early 2000's, some still want to spend more. I stand committed to American taxpayers, will fight the Washington status quo and stop deficit spending.

Tax increases not the answer

Our friends on the other side of the aisle set forth a budget proposal in March 2008 that, if enacted, would be largest tax increase in American history, a $683 billion increase! If you're a fan of higher taxes, this budget proposal is really something special. But if you're an American taxpayer struggling to pay for gas, milk, health care and college tuition, this budget is a disaster. If you're an American worker looking for a job, this buffet of tax increases isn't going to help you find work.

Working for real reform

South-central Michigan believes Washington needs real change, and people back home in Michigan know higher spending equals higher taxes, which is the last thing our hard-working families need.

We must restore fiscal responsibility in our government. This means putting an end to all-in-one budgets that pass Congress months after budget deadlines. These bills frequently contain pork projects dropped in at the last minute and can be increased by millions of dollars in the blink of an eye with little or no oversight.

Washington and Lansing spend too much money and waste much of what taxpayers send to our capitol cities. We need to reduce government spending to balance the budget and allow Americans to keep more of their paychecks. With so much hard-earned money already being wasted, I believe it is wrong for government to try and take more money out of the pockets of taxpayers.

I have also co-sponsored legislation giving the President line-item veto authority, an important tool in the fight against wasteful spending. Republicans and Democrats in the House must work together to balance the budget and make certain that taxpayer dollars are going to meaningful programs.

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