Westmoreland Demands the President Have a PLAN for a Balanced Budget

This week, the House of Representatives voted on H.R. 444, the Require a PLAN Act. The legislation would require the president submit a budget plan that balances within ten years. The vote took place on Wednesday, two days after the president's legally imposed deadline to submit a budget to Congress. The president did not meet the deadline and has given no indication of when he will do so. Below is Congressman Westmoreland's statement.

"Once again, President Obama has failed to submit his budget request on time -- the fourth time in five years. The result has been catastrophic for our economy. Since the president took office, we have seen our spending balloon to the point that it has become completely unsustainable. The national debt has risen six trillion dollars. And the country has run a budget deficit of more than one trillion for the last four years.

"As I learned from my parents and they learned from their parents -- and I'm sure every business owner will agree -- if you want to keep your finances in line, you need to start with a budget. That budget should outline how you plan to spend your money throughout the year. It helps to remind you that you need to save a little extra in March to pay for that trip you want to take in April or to account for the extra spending many families will incur at Christmas. Without a budget, spending gets off the rails and you end up with some pretty bad credit card debt.

"Well that's what we have going on in Congress -- too much spending and not enough planning. And it's got to end. It is time we get serious about spending reform and right this fiscal ship before it sinks and takes our entire economy with it.

"Republicans are serious about fixing the fiscal mess we are in. Last month we passed the "No Budget, No Pay Act" that would require each chamber of Congress to submit a budget or forfeit their paycheck. And this week, we passed the Require a PLAN Act that requires the president submit a budget that balances within ten years.

"This isn't a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. The American people on both sides of the aisle want the federal government to stop piling on so much debt. The Require a PLAN Act is just one more step on our attempt to rein in federal spending, get the federal government on a fiscally responsible budget, and balance the budget," stated Westmoreland.

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