Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is House majority whip, the third-ranking House Republican.
Tax cuts are not 'spending'
50 minutes ago
By Roy Blunt
With deficits rising as a result of the war on terror and a faltering economy, the House has passed a budget for 2005 that will cut the deficit in half in four years and continue pro-growth tax-relief policies to make our economic recovery last.
One important component of the debate on spending is budget reform, and House Republicans are pushing for greater efforts to rein in spending by rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs. In fact, this budget mandates that five House committees must find $13.2 billion in wasteful federal spending in their areas of oversight over five years.
We also want to see all new federal spending paid for. In other words, if you want to propose a new program, you also need to propose a way to pay for it. House Republicans believe in this pay-as-you-go approach, known in Congress as PAYGO, as a realistic way to slash the deficit.
What we don't want to see, however, is PAYGO for tax relief. House Republicans don't believe that tax relief is "spending." To spend money, it must first be yours. To us, tax relief is simply returning a family's hard-earned money.
So...when you take out a mortgage you haven't actually spent the money on the house.
Boy, an adjustment like that would do wonders for the GNP figures.
But you know what? I'll take it...IF you admit that voting against tax cuts isn't voting for a tax increase. Youcan't have it both ways.
And seriously. Lay off the chronic.
Posted by P6 at April 8, 2004 08:07 AM
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