Some things never change in Washington.
On Thursday, the current leadership in Washington passed just the latest spending and deficit-increasing measure, extending $18 billion for COBRA and unemployment benefits.
Since it was deemed as “emergency spending,” it didn’t abide by pay-go rules and was completely unpaid for. $18 billion more in debt for our children and grandchildren.
I was the only candidate in this race who stayed to vote against the spending bill.
The Associated Press quoted part of my floor speech against the legislation:
“It increases the deficit by $18 billion, a cost to be paid for by future generations,” said Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. “This legislation is yet another unfortunate example of business as usual in our nation’s capital.”
From unfunded unemployment bills to the healthcare takeover to bailout after bailout to egregious wasteful earmark spending, Washington needs to change it’s direction.
Americans and Kansans simply cannot afford more wasteful spending, more taxes and more debt. I’m proud to have strongly supported earmark reform and am one of only 17 members of Congress to vote against every bailout and stimulus proposed by either political party, but there is far more to be done.
We need to fundamentally reduce the size of government and get back to basic core common sense principles – like spending within our means and allowing free market principles to work and create jobs. As Americans felt the burden of tax day this week, we were all reminded that our government needs to tax less and spend less. I called on President Obama to reject additional tax hikes, because Kansas families and employers are struggling enough. I can only imagine how much stronger our economy would be today if Washington spent within their means and taxed citizens less.
Yet what did Washington do instead? They heaped more spending, more taxes and more debt upon families and job creators with last month’s healthcare takeover.
Just more business as usual.
