Why Republicans Wrote a Budget

Statement

Last December, House Republicans and Senate Democrats negotiated a long-term budget agreement that will govern spending for fiscal year 2015. Both chambers will pass appropriations bills that will stick to that agreement. Neither chamber has to pass a budget resolution--a long-term plan for governing the nation's finances.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is more than happy to avoid having to put together a budget. Between 2010 and 2013, he didn't put forward a plan. Finally, last year after the House passed the No Budget, No Pay Act, the Democrat-led Senate considered a budget of their own. So now, four out of the past five years, Harry Reid will avoid planning for the future.

House Republicans, led by Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, could have chosen the same path. Instead, we committed to once again put forward a budget that balances and then plans to start paying down our nation's debt.

This budget actually increases federal spending, but at a sustainable rate of 3.5 percent each year over the next decade. Since it's focused on growing the private economy instead of government spending, we could balance the budget by 2024.

On the current path, the government is set to spend $48 trillion over ten years. By eliminating waste and abuse, reforming and sustaining important programs, and sticking with modest growth, we can reduce this to $43 million.

The contrast between our plan and those put forward by House Democrats and the President is stark. Each of the plans they put forward raise taxes, raise spending, increase debt and never balance the budget. Paying our bills just doesn't seem to be a priority for the other party.

The simple fact is that even the most leftist Democrats can't find a way to raise enough taxes to pay for all the spending they want. The Progressive Caucus put forward a budget that raises taxes by $6.6 trillion over the next ten years. They also cut a half trillion dollars out of the defense budget but still can't make everything balance. Under their plan, the debt would still increase by $2.4 trillion because they increase spending by $8.4 trillion.

In January, Gallup asked Americans whether they are satisfied with the size and power of the federal government. Two-thirds responded that they were unhappy with how big the federal government has grown. Increasing spending only means that Washington becomes even more important than it already is.

Eleven of the top 25 richest counties in the U.S. are within commuting distance of Washington, D.C. In the year 2000, the capital region had only six of the 25 richest counties. As the federal government has grown, Washington has gotten richer even while many other places in the country get poorer.

Government power isn't reducing inequality, it's magnifying it. Wealthy corporations have enough money to higher lawyers and lobbyists to protect their power. Workers and small business owners don't.

If we want the rest of America to be wealthy, we have to stop funneling money through Washington. We have to let workers and entrepreneurs keep more in their wallets and have the freedom to invest without having to clear everything through a federal bureaucrat. That starts with keeping government within its means, and only one party has a plan to do that right now.

House Republicans could have decided to lay low, just like Harry Reid. Laying low is not going to fix our problems. Programs that millions of Americans rely on, like Medicare and Medicaid, need to be reformed or they will go bankrupt.

Obamacare didn't fix the problems with Medicare funding, it magnified them by taking from the program to pay for new entitlements. The law expanded Medicaid without the system's existing problems, including a shortage of providers willing to treat Medicaid patients.

Our budget repeals programs that don't work, like Obamacare, and fixes programs that do work, like Medicare. It's about setting the right priorities and creating jobs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget office estimates that the economy would grow faster over the next ten years if the Republican budget becomes law. That would make everyone wealthier, not just the folks in D.C.

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