Issue Position: Addressing the National Debt

Issue Position

MAKING CONGRESS PAY FOR WHAT IT PASSES

Mike helped enact common sense budget reforms like "pay-as-you-go" (PAYGO) budget rules. PAYGO requires new spending and tax cut proposals to be paid for without increasing the deficit. He has also cosponsored a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution (H.J.Res. 10), which would prohibit expenditures for a fiscal year (except those meant to repay debt) from surpassing total receipts for that fiscal year. Additionally, this resolution would require that the President submit a balanced budget to Congress each year.

But Mike believes that any constitutional amendment must take a balanced approach to addressing our debt, because it's not just one thing that has brought us to this point. It's really three things -- the Bush tax cuts, two wars that have lasted nearly a decade, and spending. That's why he opposed a partisan constitutional amendment (H.J.Res. 1) that was brought to the House floor for a vote. That approach was not workable or sustainable, and it essentially took revenues like tax cuts for the wealthy and subsidies for big oil off the table.

ADDRESSING THE LONG-TERM DEBT

Mike worked with Republicans and his fellow Blue Dogs on legislation that would establish a commission that would be responsible for making recommendations on reforming spending and reducing deficits. As a result, President Obama issued an executive order establishing the bipartisan "National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform." This commission has since issued recommendations to reduce the deficit, but Congressional leaders have not taken action on it.

Currently, negotiations on raising the debt ceiling and how long-term deficit reduction can be achieved are ongoing. Mike believes that we must raise the debt ceiling in order to avoid a double dip recession. But the same time, he believes that the time is ripe for passing meaningful deficit reduction measures along with any vote to raise the nation's debt ceiling.

ELIMINATING WASTE, FRAUD, & ABUSE

Mike worked to pass bipartisan legislation to eliminate $110 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse resulting from poor oversight and accountability on the part of federal government agencies. This bill, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act, was signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2010.

Mike also worked with his Blue Dog colleagues on a commonsense bill that requires federal programs to be assessed at least once every five years in order to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent in an effective way. The Government Efficiency, Effectiveness and Performance Improvement Act, is a critical component of the Blue Dog Blueprint for Fiscal Reform, a 15 point plan championed by the coalition as a way to reduce wasteful and unnecessary government spending, and restore fiscal discipline to the federal government. The bill became public law in January of 2011.

ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO RESTORE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

In addition, Mike supported a number of bills in the 111th Congress (2009, 2010) that were passed to cut the deficit and to crack down on wasteful spending:

The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act (enacted into law), which reinstituted a requirement to offset new policies that increase mandatory spending or reduce revenues, giving it the force of law. Pay-as-you-go principles created the record budget surpluses the nation enjoyed under President Clinton.

A new House rule to require periodic hearings on waste, fraud and abuse by House committees to ensure that tax dollars are spent wisely.

The Affordable Care Act health insurance reform (enacted into law), which includes cracking down on waste and fraud in Medicare and Medicaid and, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), will cut the deficit by $124 billion over the next 10 years and by $1.2 trillion over the following 10 years.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (enacted into law) which, according to CBO, will cut the deficit by $19 billion over the next 10 years.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act which, according to CBO, will cut the deficit by $9 billion over the next 10 years.

The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (enacted into law) which, according to CBO, will cut the deficit by $3.2 billion over the next 10 years.
The Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act which, according to CBO, will cut the deficit by $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.

The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization (enacted into law) which, according to CBO, will cut the deficit by $1 billion over the next 10 years.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (enacted into law) which, according to CBO, will cut the deficit by $1 billion over the next 10 years.

The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act (enacted into law), which saves taxpayers money by cracking down on Pentagon waste and cost overruns, which GAO says amount to $296 billion just for the 96 largest weapons systems.

The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (enacted into law) which cracks down on improper federal payments and will help achieve the President's goal of reducing wasteful, improper payments by $50 billion between now and 2012.

The Government Efficiency, Effectiveness and Performance Improvement Act, which cuts hundreds of millions of dollars in government waste by shining light on ineffective federal programs.

The IMPROVE Acquisition Act, which cleans up DOD acquisition spending for the 80 percent that is for services and other non-weapons items, saving taxpayers an estimated $27 billion a year.

The Surface Transportation Savings Act, which rescinds $107 million in unspent contract authority for certain transportation programs -- thereby ensuring that these funds will not be used to increase spending in the future.

The Budget Enforcement Resolution, which sets a limit on discretionary spending for FY 2011 that requires spending cuts of $7 billion below the President's budget and $3 billion below the Senate resolution.

The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act (enacted into law), which protects U.S. taxpayers by giving the Justice Department enhanced authorities to fight fraud in the use of TARP and Recovery Act funds, including increased penalties.

Special Inspector General for TARP Act (enacted into law), which strengthened the oversight of the TARP program by expanding the authorities of the Special Inspector General to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

A package of $1.1 billion for program integrity activities for FY 2010, (enacted into law) to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in such programs as Medicare and Medicaid -- with research showing that for every $1.00 invested in identifying and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government spending, we get $1.50 back.

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