Dold, Walsh: Federal budget battle brewing

“We are engaged in a fight for life,” said Walsh, a McHenry tea partyer. “It’s a big fight about freedom and the nature of government. … It’s a fight we have to have as a country.”

The fight they predict could become critical as soon as April 8 — the expiration date for a temporary budget extension that’s allowing for federal spending. The federal government is running on its sixth temporary budget extension this fiscal year, and April 8 is the next deadline to pass either a more permanent spending plan, another temporary deal, or allow a government shutdown.

Dold said Republicans have made some progress toward budget cuts with the two most recent extensions, which cut $4 billion and then $6 billion from planned spending.

“I refuse to be the first generation of Americans that leaves our country worse than our parents and grandparents,” said Dold, a Kenilworth Republican.
Dold compared the budget discussions to a chess match, in which members of both parties are strategizing and choosing their battles. The battles likely will extend into funding for aspects of President Barack Obama’s health care reforms, the power of regulatory arms of government such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the nation’s amount of debt, Walsh said.

“It’s a fight about destroying this monstrosity called ObamaCare,” Walsh said. “We are on a mission to respectfully stop what this president’s policies are doing to this country.”

About 100 people, including roughly 10 suburban elected officials and 10 candidates for local offices, gathered at Vittorio de Roma restaurant in Palatine and questioned the congressmen about their plans to conquer pushback from the Democratic-controlled Senate and continue their budget-slashing mission.

When asked why he voted not to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood, Dold said he supported funding the organization because it provides services such as cancer screenings, although he is opposed to using federal money to pay for abortions.

As the April 8 expiration date of the temporary budget approaches, Walsh warned the crowd a government shutdown could occur. While he wants to avoid such a stoppage, he said it may help the country as a whole wake up to the severity of its budget problems.

Dold agreed, saying legislators must find a way to decrease the nation’s amount of deficit spending.

“We can and must do better,” Dold said.