Congressman Cantor: President Obama's False Choice

Statement

Today, Congressman Eric Cantor (VA-07) released the following statement regarding the President's false choices on the sequester:

"President Obama has said that unless he gets a second tax hike in eight weeks, he will be forced to let criminals loose on the streets, the meat at your grocery store won't be inspected and emergency responders will be unable to do their jobs. These are false choices. We are faced with the negative effects of the sequester because Democrats have not been able to take even the smallest step towards controlling spending. The President called for a balanced approach to the fiscal cliff, and yet the outcome was all tax increases.

"After four years of record-setting deficits and mountains of debt heaped onto our children and grandchildren, it's time for smart choices that cut Washington spending and achieve real balance. Working families across this country deserve better than Washington taking more of their money, or threatening their jobs because we cannot make even the tiniest cuts to government spending.

"Rather than degrade our military strength, the President should instead cut waste, like smoking machines and EPA grants to foreign countries. Rather than take border patrol agents off the job, the President should instead choose to reform the federal employee retirement system so it matches what people get in the private sector. Rather than let criminals run through the streets, the President should instead choose to eliminate slush funds and require people that get an overpayment from the government return that money. These decisions really shouldn't be that tough.

"I agree with the President, the cuts in the sequester are 'not smart' and 'not fair.' That is why I co-sponsored one of the two bills House Republicans passed last year to replace these cuts with bipartisan reforms that made more sense. For nearly a year, the President and Senate Democrats have chosen to accept these harmful effects rather than propose any spending cuts to avert the sequester, and help get our fiscal house in order. House Republicans have acted, and it's time for the President and Senate Democrats to join us. It's time to get off the campaign trail, and get to work. Show us what spending reductions you prefer, and let's find some common ground."

Source