Boyd Shapes Final Budget

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Allen BoyD, a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition and one of only five conferees on the House Budget, today voted in support of the Concurrent Budget Resolution (S. Con. Res. 13), which establishes a blueprint for Fiscal Year 2010, brings honesty and accountability to the budget process, cuts wasteful deficit spending, and includes budget enforcement tools, long advocated by Congressman Boyd, to chart a path to fiscal discipline.

With the support of President Obama and House Leadership, Congressman Boyd and the Blue Dogs were successful in insisting that the Budget Resolution direct the House to agree to statutory PAYGO before addressing some of the government's major anticipated expenditures. This requirement will prevent Congress from considering massive and expensive programs without the passage of pay-as-you-go, which prohibits deficit spending.

The budget also requires that any healthcare reform legislation not add to our budget deficit and includes funding for program integrity to identify waste and abuse in government spending. Congressman Boyd, as chair of the Blue Dog Budget Task Force, also played a critical role in bringing down discretionary spending below the House Budget Resolution levels and ensuring that any energy-related legislation go through regular order and have bipartisan input.

"For the first time in eight years, we are working with an honest document that accurately reflects the full scope of our spending obligations," said Congressman Boyd. "Four weeks ago, I supported the House Budget Resolution because it took significant steps to reverse the irresponsible fiscal policies that have contributed to this unprecedented financial crisis, but I knew we could do more - and we have. This Resolution cuts wasteful spending and makes responsible investments into key national priorities, such as healthcare and veterans' funding, and also gives us a clear path toward reducing the federal deficit with the passage of statutory PAYGO. With this Budget Resolution, Congress and the President are sending a very clear message to the American people that we are committed to addressing the serious long-term fiscal challenges facing this country and doing so in a responsible way."

Congressman Boyd worked to include the following key priorities in the budget resolution:
A commitment to pass statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) in the House of Representatives
Closing the gap between spending and revenues by cutting the deficit by nearly two-thirds by 2013
Reduces non-security discretionary spending $10 billion below the President's request
Does not provide reconciliation for cap-and-trade legislation and does not assume any revenues from cap-and-trade are dedicated to any specific policy
Includes a reserve fund that requires health care reform to be deficit neutral
Includes full funding for the President's defense request for overseas military operations
Funds the President's budget request for veterans at a $5 billion increase.

"With this Budget as a blueprint, and a firm commitment to PAYGO, we are charting a path to long-term sustainability," Boyd added. "We have much more work ahead of us, and I will continue working in Congress to strengthen our economy and to ensure future generations aren't left to shoulder our debt."

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