Issue Position: Fiscal Responsibility and Government Reform

Issue Position

Congressman Ruppersberger believes in a budget that puts more money into the pockets of consumers who can spend and invest it to grow the economy and create jobs. He is fiscally conservative and supports eliminating the federal deficit.

Congressman Ruppersberger supports cutting the federal deficit and reducing spending:

* He supported the budget enforcement resolution setting a limit on discretionary spending for fiscal year 2011, requiring spending cuts of $7 billion below the president's budget and $3 billion below the Senate.

* He helped reinstate the "Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act" that turned record deficits into surpluses in the 1990s by requiring Congress to offset new spending with cuts.

* He cosponsors the "Clean-Up Act," to reform the federal procurement process to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in the federal contracting process, and ensure that government work that can be done in-house is not outsourced.

* He cosponsors the "Federal Reserve Transparency Act" to authorize an audit of the federal reserve in heighten transparency and accountability.

* He voted for earmark reforms to reign in spending and increase transparency and accountability of taxpayer money, including a measure to require members to post their requests on their official Web site and explain their purpose.

* He helped pass legislation that cracks down on Pentagon waste and cost overruns in the purchase of weapons, increasing oversight and competition. He helped pass reforms to other non-weapons defense spending that will save taxpayers $27 billion each year.

While he did not support every detail, Congressman Ruppersberger voted in favor of the 2010 budget because it puts more money into the pockets of consumers who can spend and invest it to grow the economy and create jobs. The budget:

* Includes the largest middle-class tax cut in history, lowering taxes for 95 percent of American workers and every family that makes less than $250,000 a year.

* Invests in education, clean energy and affordable health care; expands the Child Tax Credit and makes the American Opportunity Tax Credit for education permanent.

* Cuts the deficit by two-thirds by 2013 by slowing the growth in defense spending and reducing non-defense discretionary spending.

* Reduces spending by ending the war in Iraq, reforms health care to reduce costs, cuts ineffective federal programs, ends tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and reforms federal contracting and defense purchasing.

Source