U.S. Congressman Congressman Hensarling
Published: 09-04-07
Published: 09-04-07
This month I have had the opportunity to travel around the 5th District and visit with East Texans about my efforts to combat the outrageous level of pork-barrel spending coming out of Washington and restore fiscal accountability to Congress. Citizens Against Government Waste a group that exposes wasteful federal spending recently noted that earmark spending increased almost 30 between 2003 and 2006. Earmarks special funding requests targeted to small specific areas that are funded by your tax dollars contribute in a large way to Washington’s culture of spending and have a direct impact on the family budgets of East Texans.
In 2006 alone Washington spent $29 billion dollars on earmarks and since America is running a deficit every penny spent was taken out of the Social Security Trust Fund. It is irresponsible for Congress to spend money it doesn’t have but what is even worse is that it is spending it at the expense of our nation’s seniors and future Social Security recipients.
If Congress keeps spending at this rate our children will inherit a federal government that consists solely of Medicare Medicaid and Social Security because that is all it will be able to afford. No military no border security no national parks. For the sake of our nation and especially for our children this out-of-control spending must stop.
If Congress keeps spending at this rate our children will inherit a federal government that consists solely of Medicare Medicaid and Social Security because that is all it will be able to afford. No military no border security no national parks. For the sake of our nation and especially for our children this out-of-control spending must stop.
I have taken an active roll in combating wasteful spending in the 110th Congress. My colleagues in the Republican Study Committee and I have introduced over 50 amendments on the House floor to strike the most wasteful earmarks from spending bills and I have personally offered amendments that would strike $6.5 million in pork from bills this year.
I have also introduced landmark legislation the Family Budget Protection Act which would combat earmarks by giving the President line item veto authority and would establish a commission to make recommendations on how to eliminate wasteful spending. An earlier version of the bill was heralded by outside pro-taxpayer groups as the “Gold Standard” of budget reform legislation. The Family Budget Protection Act would also place a cap on the growth of the federal budget ensuring that it doesn’t outgrow the American families’ ability to pay for it.
Congressman Hensarling Recognized for his Devotion to Fiscal Accountability
The National Taxpayers Union recently announced that Congressman Hensarling had the most fiscally conservative record in the 109th Congress meaning that bills he sponsored and co-sponsored would have saved taxpayers more money than any other member of Congress. The Club for Growth also recently announced that Congressman Hensarling was one of only sixteen members of Congress to score a perfect 100 on the group’s “RePork Card” meaning that he voted for all 50 anti-pork amendments offered in the House this year.
The National Taxpayers Union recently announced that Congressman Hensarling had the most fiscally conservative record in the 109th Congress meaning that bills he sponsored and co-sponsored would have saved taxpayers more money than any other member of Congress. The Club for Growth also recently announced that Congressman Hensarling was one of only sixteen members of Congress to score a perfect 100 on the group’s “RePork Card” meaning that he voted for all 50 anti-pork amendments offered in the House this year.
Congressman Hensarling has received numerous other honors and awards for his outstanding service in Congress including the “Taxpayer Hero” award on behalf of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste the National Taxpayers Union’s “Friend of the Taxpayer” award the Club for Growth’s “Defender of Economic Freedom” award and Americans for Tax Reform’s “Hero of the Taxpayer” award.
