Ensign, Fiscal Watch Team Unveil Plan to Pay for Katrina Spending

Press Release

ENSIGN, FISCAL WATCH TEAM UNVEIL PLAN TO PAY FOR KATRINA SPENDING

Senator John Ensign and six senate colleagues today unveiled their proposal to offset tens of billions of dollars in government spending on relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The senators announced their proposed government spending cuts during a Capitol Hill press conference this afternoon.

"We have introduced an element of fiscal sanity and responsibility to the spending plan for the Gulf Coast region," Ensign said. "We want to make sure those people who were affected by these catastrophic storms get the aid they need but that we make some sacrifices elsewhere so we don't pass this enormous bill on to our children."

Ensign, joined by Senators Sam Brownback, Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, Lindsey Graham, John McCain and John Sununu, proposed the following actions to offset hurricane relief spending:

• A freeze on cost-of-living adjustments for federal employees, including members of Congress, with the exception of law enforcement and military personnel.

• A two-year delay in implementation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

• A requirement that those with higher incomes pay higher Medicare Part B premiums in 2006, rather than in 2007 as currently scheduled.

• An elimination of some projects included as part of the recently approved Highway Bill.

• A cut of 5% to all federal spending programs except those which impact national security, with 1% set aside for funding of essential programs.

The package of offsets proposed today could save the American taxpayers as much as $125 billion.

Source