Pushing for a Shutdown: Will Ross Call on Senate Dems to Agree to Modest Cuts?

February 23, 2011

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Costa (CA-20), Mark Critz (PA-12), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Maurice Hinchey (NY-22), Tim Holden (PA-17), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Jay Inslee (WA-01), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-10), Dale Kildee (MI-05), Ron Kind (WI-03), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Brad Miller (NC-13), Chris Murphy (CT-05), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Collin Peterson (MN-07), David Price (NC-04), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Mike Ross (AR-04), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Tim Walz (MN-01), Anthony Weiner (NY-09), David Wu (OR-01)

Pushing for a Shutdown: Will Ross Call on Senate Dems to Agree to Modest Cuts?

Arkansas Democrat Has Been Silent on Senate Democrats’ Refusal to Reduce Spending

Washington — Mike Ross and his fellow House Democrats last week stood in solidarity against efforts to bring meaningful spending reductions to the unsustainable federal budget deficit, and now word comes that their Democrat colleagues in the Senate intend to stall efforts to aggressively cut spending and hide behind the threat of a government shutdown. If Ross was serious about taking a stand against out of control spending and record debt levels, he would call upon Mark Pryor to get serious about cutting government and demand Senate Democrats stop their threats of a government shutdown.

“Mike Ross’s vote against the continuing resolution last week showed he is not serious when it comes to efforts to cut federal spending, and his party leadership in the Senate is proving to be no different,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “So far it seems that Democrats are united in preserving the status quo and maintaining their big-spending ways. If Ross wants to finally demonstrate some commitment to reducing the deficit, the least he could do is call upon Mark Pryor in Arkansas and all Senate Democrats to replace their threats of a government shutdown with meaningful action on getting government to live within its means.”

On Tuesday, Majority Leader Harry Reid proposed maintaining spending at current, unsustainable levels as the alternative to a government shutdown:

“When Reid announced Tuesday that he would introduce a monthlong spending bill with no cuts, he called it an olive branch. Republicans think it’s a fig leaf.” (Jonathan Allen and John Bresnahan, “Shutdown: Does GOP have the edge this time?” Politico, 2/23/11)

Last week, House Democrats such as Mike Ross stood together against fiscal reform to rein in our exploding deficit, and now Senate Democrats are opposing any immediate cuts to the federal budget. Ross will have to take some action to demonstrate any interest in halting record debt levels, and he can start by calling on Mark Pryor of Arkansas and all Senate Democrats to stop hiding behind their threats of a government shutdown and get to work on reducing government spending.

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