A Presidential Proposal

A Presidential Proposal
February 10, 2005

President Bush submitted a common sense budget to Congress earlier this week. His budget puts our national priorities in order by reducing the deficit, holding federal agencies accountable, and making America a safer place. The President's proposal provides Congress with a starting point as Congress begins to craft the budget for the coming year.
The President's budget is limited to 2.1% growth, which is less than the anticipated rate of inflation. Non-security spending drops by almost 1%. This decrease represents the strictest spending restraint since the Reagan Administration.

I am also pleased to see that the President's budget includes a plan to reduce our nation's deficit by more than half by 2009. The deficit has grown exponentially and the federal government has become excessively large and inefficient. Washington must be held accountable for its runaway spending.

It is essential during this time of mounting deficits to hold the line on spending. If Congress and the President do not do so, our nation could have serious difficulties meeting our obligations to citizens dependent on programs like Medicare and Social Security. The President's proposal to eliminate programs that are no longer serving their intended purpose is heartening. When considering funding for specific programs, the Bush Administration adhered to a strict three-tiered standard: 1. Is the program a national priority? 2. Does the program use taxpayer dollars in an appropriate manner? 3. Does the program produce its intended results?

By asking these important questions, President Bush has shown resolve in holding our government agencies accountable for their poor performance. Effective programs that have proven to be successful should continue to receive monetary support, just as bureaucratic programs that deplete taxpayers' resources must be eliminated. There is a common misperception in Washington that more money equals better results. I believe that over-funded programs that have continually shown to under-perform do not deserve further opportunities to waste taxpayers' hard-earned money.

To protect our nation and prevent another terrorist attack, the President's budget increases funding for overall defense spending by 4.8%. By increasing this funding, the President has proven his commitment to investing what it takes to guarantee the security of America. While his opponents have argued that the President is spending too much money on security, in fact, the defense spending level for 2006 represents a minimal increase from 2001, and is considerably less than the mid-'80s and early '90s. As the following chart demonstrates, as a percentage of total outlays, defense spending has remained relatively flat since the end of President Clinton's Administration.

As Congress puts together a budget for 2006, it is my hope that my colleagues will join President Bush in recognizing the necessity of drawing down the deficit, eliminating government waste, and keeping America's citizens secure. I give the President great credit for being willing to step up and present a budget that will begin to restore fiscal discipline to Washington.

http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner/wc20050210.html