$98 Billion & Counting: Democrats Boost Spending, Taxes, Democrats Break Promises on Fiscal Responsibility, Tax Pledges to Middle-Class Americans

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From: http://republicanleader.house.gov

Washington, Jun 5 -




With House Democrats racing to raid taxpayer wallets, the Washington Post reports this morning on a White House threat to veto any appropriations bills with wasteful and excessive spending. According to the Post, Office of Management and Budget Director Rob Portman said,

“We do have the veto, and we will use a veto when necessary”:

“Portman said the Iraq spending bill signed by Bush last month contained about $20 billion in extra money for domestic programs, most of it non-emergency spending that would normally have been added to the budget bills for fiscal 2008. That should make it easier for lawmakers to live within the president’s request to hold discretionary spending to a 6.9 percent increase, rather than the 9 percent Democrats have proposed.”

House Republicans are also signing on to a letter to President Bush from Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) signaling support for any veto. As House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) told the Post:

“‘Democratic leaders have shown incredible consistency and discipline when it comes to raising taxes and jacking up federal spending, and it represents yet another broken promise at a time when Washington politicians should be tightening their belt and eliminating wasteful earmarks,’ said House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).”

In total, House Democrats have authorized $98 billion in new federal spending this year alone. On the appropriations front, the Democrats have:
Added some $6 billion in new spending to the omnibus spending package approved
in January.

• Added more than $20 billion to the FY 2008 budget above and beyond the President’s request.
• Added approximately $17 billion in additional spending to the supplemental.
• Added some $9 billion (and counting) to the first four appropriations bills they’ve marked up at the House Appropriations Committee, with more on the way.
• And approved a massive $392.5 billion tax increase on middle-class families in their budget.
  

This comes as news spreads of the Democratic plan to hide wasteful spending from voters and make the earmark process secret. House Republicans will continue to work to root out wasteful federal spending and balance the federal budget without raising taxes.