New Congress Begins with Spending Cuts
The 112th Congress was sworn in last week, and the new Republican majority immediately went to work implementing the priorities the American people voted for in November's historic election. Citizens demanded spending cuts, more accountability and transparency, and a return to the principles of limited government set forth in the Constitution. House Republicans passed legislation addressing every one of these priorities in the first week.
On Day 1, we passed new rules to change the very processes by which Congress operates. For too long, Washington has functioned under a system that reflexively enables spending and the growth of government. No longer. The rules package passed by the Republican majority requires that all bills submitted for a vote must be accompanied by a Constitutional Authority Statement citing the specific constitutional provisions that permit the legislation. All legislation will now be posted online for at least three days before a vote, instead of being rushed through with no opportunity for scrutiny.
We've ended the Democrats' "pay-go" policy that mandated tax increases to fund new spending. Instead, the new Congress will operate under a "cut as you go policy," under which any new spending items must be offset by a spending cut of an equal or greater amount elsewhere in the budget. And finally, we passed a rule declaring that a full reading of the Constitution would take place on the House floor. When we fulfilled this pledge on the second day of session last week, it was a first in history and a powerful reminder of our founding principles.
After the reading of the Constitution, we voted to cut the budget of every congressional office and committee by 5 percent. In order to reduce the deficit and create jobs, everything must be on the table. There are tough cuts coming to every part of the federal budget, and it's appropriate that Congress take the first step by cutting our own budgets. I'm proud to have worked on the Transition Team that recommended these cuts, and I'm pleased that the Appropriations Committee on which I serve is going even further and cutting our budget by 9 percent. This is just the beginning of a serious and sustained effort to cut government spending.
When the economic crisis hit, the American people were quick to recognize that only smaller government and debt reduction -- not taxing and spending -- would lead us back to prosperity. This makes us unique among nations. As columnist Tony Blankley wrote in the Washington Times, "No other people in the world would have responded to economic danger by seeking more liberty and less government protection. No other people would have thought to themselves, 'If I have to suffer economically in order not to steal from my grandchildren, so be it.'" While the media broadcast scenes from other nations showing "streets filled with violent people demanding their 'right' to retire early or have heavily subsidized university tuition or guaranteed government jobs - even if it means the impoverishment of their progeny," Americans went to the polls to support limited government and less spending. Under the Republican majority, the 112th Congress took the first steps toward achieving these aims, and they will remain our guiding priorities throughout this legislative session.
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