New Deficit Numbers Confirm ‘Free Fall into Debt’ As Bishop Refuses to Take His Foot off the Spending Gas Pedal

January 26, 2011

FYI, a version of this release below went out to the following districts: Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Jim Himes (CT-04), Maurice Hinchey (NY-22), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Dale Kildee (MI-05), Ron Kind (WI-03), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Brad Miller (NC-13), Chris Murphy (CT-05), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), David Wu (OR-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)

New Deficit Numbers Confirm ‘Free Fall into Debt’ As Bishop Refuses to Take His Foot off the Spending Gas Pedal
Georgia Democrat Opposes Greatly Needed Reform As Fiscal Crisis Accelerates

Washington— Unfortunately for those Americans craving fiscal sanity from their leaders in Washington, Sanford Bishop on Tuesday joined the Democratic Party establishment in opposing efforts to reduce federal spending to 2008 levels. Just hours later, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced Wednesday morning that the federal budget deficit widened to $1.5 trillion, mounting additional debt upon the backs of already struggling middle-class families. Bishop and his fellow Democrats have demonstrated they lack the commitment necessary to halt the impending fiscal catastrophe.

“Sanford Bishop proved on Tuesday that he is unwilling to make the tough choices necessary to fix the Democrats’ spending addiction in Washington that continues to spiral out of control,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Today’s devastating projection only underscores the dire need to shed the culture of unlimited spending that Bishop and his party created over the past two years. It’s clear that Sanford Bishop does not understand the significance and urgency of this fiscal crisis or the basic demand from the American people for the federal government to live within its means.”

On Tuesday, the House voted to reduce federal spending to 2008 levels in spite of strong Democratic opposition:

“The resolution instructs House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to set spending for the current fiscal year, which ends in September, at 2008 levels or lower.” (Felicia Sonmez and Paul Kane, “House votes to cut spending to 2008 levels,” Washington Post’s 44 Blog, 1/25/11)

On Wednesday, the non-partisan CBO announced the budget deficit this year is now estimated to have grown to $1.5 trillion:

“The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office made it official on Wednesday morning: America’s free fall into debt is accelerating. The budget deficit is now estimated to have widened to this year to $1.5 trillion, the CBO said. That compares to a budget deficit of $1.3 trillion for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.” (Erik Wasson, “CBO: Deficit widened to $1.5 trillion this year,” The Hill’s On The Money Blog, 1/26/11)

The CBO’s announcement on Wednesday only further highlighted the dire need to reverse the out-of-control spending that had dominated the Democratic agenda for years. In opposing the efforts to do just that, Bishop demonstrated that he does not understand the gravity of the fiscal crisis we find ourselves in or the demand from the American people that we start spending their tax dollars in a smart and responsible way.

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