Lewis Statement on the President’s Line-Item Rescission Proposal

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Ranking Republican Jerry Lewis remarked today on President Obama line-item rescission authority proposal, saying that it would have only a very small effect on overall federal spending, and that it is a thinly-veiled attempt by the White House to appear more fiscally responsible. 

 

Lewis gave the following statement:

 

“The President and this Democrat Congress have demonstrated their apathy toward massive government spending at nearly every turn. They have approved a failed trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ bill, punted decisions on spending reductions to a drawn-out fiscal commission, failed to pass even the barest budget blueprint, and this week are pushing for over $30 billion in additional ‘jobs’ spending on a must-pass emergency troop funding and disaster assistance bill.

 

“Now the President is trying to appear fiscally responsible by saying he’s going to cut certain items out of spending bills – ostensibly from accounts that, in total, make up less than one-tenth of one percent of the federal budget. This plan not only intrudes on the constitutional authority of Congress to determine federal spending, but also would have only a miniscule effect on real savings for the American taxpayer.

 

“The President’s proposal today is merely a public relations maneuver to distract the American people from the fact that his policies and those of the Democrat Congress have led us to unprecedented and devastating levels of deficit and debt.  Our economy and our people are in crisis, and we should be focusing on what our constituents really want and need: genuine budget reform, less government spending, more jobs, and a stable economic future for our country.”