Statement from Congressman Fitzpatrick on H.J.R 48

Statement

In November, the Eighth District of Pennsylvania sent me to Congress to rein in federal spending and begin bringing our national debt under control. Today, I voted in favor of H.J.Res. 48, a bill to reduce federal spending by an additional $6 billion in just three weeks, meaning that we have cut $10 billion in the first two and a half months of Congress. This is twice as much as the Senate Democratic leadership proposed for the entire year. H.J.Res. 48 also rescinds all earmarks for 2011 and completely eliminates 23 government programs, including funding for the conversion of public television stations to digital broadcasting, funding for the 2010 Census, assistance to the EPA to administer non-statutory greenhouse gas emissions regulation, and 38 unneeded and unfilled positions in the House of Representatives.

In February, the House passed a long-term Continuing Resolution, with my support, to cut a historic $61 billion in government spending and to defund the job-killing health care law. Unfortunately, the Senate rejected this measure. If we are ever going to truly succeed in bringing fiscal responsibility to Washington, the Senate and the White House must be willing to come to the table. H.J.Res. 48 gives us time to complete a long-term budget that reduces spending and brings down the national debt.

At a time when our nation is facing record debt and deficits, we must take every opportunity to reduce spending.

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