Houston Democrats

Having compiled a long record as a conscientious fiscal conservative in the House of Representatives, it is clear that the recent political discussion focusing on the government's spending priorities and overall economic platform in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita has introduced a valuable forum to promote the triumph of our ideas and solutions for government over the crumbling and outdated policies of the Democrat-controlled Congresses of past decades.

Tom, you’re Speaker of the House. That means you are at least partly responsible for the last 5 years of spending. Let’s look at the record, courtesy of the Congressional budget Office. According to the CBO’s historical budget table 1, federal revenues deceased 5% since 2001 – this despite two and a half years of economic expansion that started in the first quarter of 2003. Over the same period of time, federal outlays increased 23% from 1.863 trillion to 2.292 trillion. Decreasing revenues and increased spending appears to be your record, Tom. That doesn’t look conservative to me.

But I’m not the only person who has noticed. The Cato Institute noted:

President Bush has presided over the largest overall increase in inflation-adjusted federal spending since Lyndon B. Johnson. Even after excluding spending on defense and homeland security, Bush is still the biggest-spending president in 30 years. His 2006 budget doesn’t cut enough spending to change his place in history, either.

I’m sure you are thrilled by the LBJ comparison, Tom. David Brooks made the same observation in a recent NY Times editorial.

The federal government spends too much, taxes too much and has yet to develop a more perfect sense of bureaucratic reform. But the evidence shows -- as I have publicly maintained--that progress, though frustratingly slow as it is, is being made because of a determined and cohesive effort by House Republicans to always do better.

Tom, your leadership is now responsible for the government spending too much. The Republicans have been in control of Congress and the Presidency for the last 5 years and all we got was a 2 billion increase in total debt outstanding. You can no longer argue that tax and spend liberals are responsible for bloated government, especially when your party has created the now bloated government.

This has brought about an important level of debate on the vital need to promote fiscally responsible policies in Congress. And I agree that an essential point has achieved consensus in this debate: The current political dialogue on political spending is one that requires a clear declaration of principles from House Republicans. We will continue to display an earnest devotion to the ideals of a smaller, more efficient, better-prioritized government. Flaunting rhetoric on the issue of fiscal discipline will not be enough. The conservative ideals of fiscal discipline and leaner, smarter government require a legislative agenda that can be put into action and enacted into law.

requires a clear declaration of principles from House Republicans.: Tom, your actions clearly indicate your principles: give money to rich people who fund your campaigns. Cut government programs such as FEMA that benefit all people. Borrow money to burden future generations so you, Jack and all your buddies can live high on the hog now.

We will continue to display an earnest devotion to the ideals of a smaller, more efficient, better-prioritized government The fact that President Bush and the Republican controlled Congress have increased domestic spending as fast as that other icon of fiscal conservatism LBJ kind of makes that statement a bit hard to defend.

Our positioning on this issue -- as a party that is strongly identified with the American people as sensible and determined protectors of the hard-working taxpayer -- demands a unified and clear opposition to those whose policies and agendas are hostile to the taxpayer's best interests: Capitol Hill Democrats intent on raising taxes, free-spending special interest groups intent on curing the ills of society by advocating federal dollars as the only solution and a bevy of bureaucrats more interested in an expansion of federal programs than the reduction of ineffective ones.

That’s right. When all else fails, blame Democrats. Sorry Tom. Republicans are now the party of fiscal irresponsibility. Democrats actually make the government work really well for all people, not just our rich donors. Remember Clinton? Whilst getting a blowjob from an aide he also managed to balance his last three budgets and pay down some of the Republican created debt. Republicans have yet to balance a budget in the last 25 years. I would like to state publicly I am very pro-blowjob, especially when it balances budgets and pays down debt.

As for calling Democrats free-spenders, Republicans’ record for the last 5 years clearly states otherwise. Republicans are now the party of free-spending.

While tailoring our focus on the task at hand, our party must also trumpet our accomplishments. So far this year, the House-passed appropriations bills have cut 98 low-priority programs, for a savings of $4 billion and the first real cut in domestic spending since 1987. And this fall, the House will pass mandatory spending savings of at least $35 billion, to bring next year's spending projections in line with the budget Congress passed this spring -- a budget saving plan that was put in place months before Hurricane Katrina brought this debate on spending to the forefront.

Tom, you’re forgetting some of your greatest works. How modest of you. Here, let me help. A war – whose oil revenues were supposed to pay for its prosecution -- that has already cost over 250 billion. An increase in total federal debt outstanding of 2 trillion. A squandering of a budget surplus and the reinstitution of deficit spending. Tom – Republicans have accomplished so much more than you give them credit for.

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