When Will Dems Get “Serious” and Start Telling the Truth About Debt & Borrowing?
| FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04), John Barrow (GA-12), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Dan Boren (OK-02), 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 Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-20), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Joe Donnelly (IN-02), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Maurice Hinchey (NY-22), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), 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), Jim Matheson (UT-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Brad Miller (NC-13), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), David Price (NC-04), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), John Tierney (MA-06), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), Anthony Weiner (NY-09), David Wu (OR-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)
When Will Rahall Get “Serious” and Start Telling the Truth About Debt & Borrowing?
West Virginia Democrat Continues to Stand With Weak, Ineffective Dem Proposal Washington — As experts across the political spectrum recognize the “serious” and “honest” nature of the newly crafted Republican budget proposal, Nick Rahall instead continues to side with his fellow Democrats’ widely-panned proposal which does nothing but preserve the broken status quo. Rahall’s current Democrat plan would add $9.4 trillion to our existing $14 trillion in debt, which would push our finances even closer to the brink. Will Rahall change his mind in order to demonstrate that he is willing to get “serious” and be “honest” with families in West Virginia looking for relief? “The consensus is clear that Nick Rahall’s Democrat budget plan does absolutely nothing to avert our country’s impending fiscal disaster,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Rahall has a chance to embrace true fiscal reform that has received bipartisan praise for finally addressing the serious and honest problems Democrats created during their government spending binge. However, much to the disappointment of small businesses and families throughout West Virginia, Rahall remains silent while his party resorts to the same scare tactics that Americans are tired of.” The Democrat budget plan has been widely panned for its failure to make badly-needed reforms, like reduce the deficit: “How unserious is this budget? Although the White House trumpets $2.18 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade, those savings are so far off in the magical ‘out years’ that you can barely see them from here. More than 95% of the savings would happen after Mr. Obama’s first term in the White House is over, and almost two-thirds of the promised deficit reduction would arrive after 2016. Pretending to cut deficits by pushing all real cuts into the future is Budget Flimflam 101.” (Editorial, “The Cee Lo Green Budget,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/16/11)
In contrast, the House Republican plan has been lauded for being “honest” and “serious” about reform across the political spectrum:
Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT): “I thank Chairman Ryan for having the courage not just to talk frankly about the danger America’s national debt poses to the American people but also to propose a comprehensive program to cut the national debt. One does not have to agree with all or most of Chairman Ryan’s proposals to be able to applaud his serious commitment to reduce the debt that threatens our nation’s future.” (Daniel Harper, “Praise for Paul Ryan’s Budget,” The Weekly Standard‘s Blog, 4/5/11)
Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson: “The budget released this morning by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan is a serious, honest, straightforward approach to addressing our nation’s enormous fiscal challenges.” (Press Release, “Bowles, Simpson react to Chairman Ryan’s budget proposal,” The Moment of Truth Project, 4/5/11) “Ryan’s proposal, whatever you think of it, is serious.” (Andrew Sullivan, “Where Obama Feared To Tread,” The Daily Beast’s The Dish Blog, 4/5/11)
The fiscal problems we face require urgent action, and yet it seems that Nick Rahall still doesn’t want to get “serious” about stepping up and finding solutions. How much longer can Rahall’s constituents in West Virginia wait for him to act?
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