11.03.11

Sessions Remarks On Latest Effort To Increase Borrowing As Part Of President’s Stimulus

“Hardworking Americans have every right to be upset. They watch as major corporations with connections to the White House get bailouts, handouts, and taxpayer-funded loans while they’re asked to bear an ever heavier burden."

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after another bipartisan Senate vote to reject a component of the president’s second stimulus package, which would overall increase the deficit by almost $300 billion in this fiscal year alone:

“Every penny of needed transportation funding for next year can be found by achieving savings within our existing budget. No new spending, taxing, or borrowing is needed. The refusal of the Democrat-run Senate—whose majority hasn’t offered a budget plan in 918 days—along with President Obama, to look for meaningful savings within our bloated budget proves that they are in denial. I fear that, unlike the Republican alternative, the proposal from the Majority Party will not include real money to fund its ambitions. This would be unacceptable, as such a tactic has been used before as a gimmick that created more debt.

Hardworking Americans have every right to be upset. They watch as major corporations with connections to the White House get bailouts, handouts, and taxpayer-funded loans while they’re asked to bear an ever heavier burden.

Spending must be focused more on items that make America more competitive. Smart transportation projects can pay off for our country. But our new mantra in Washington should be this: if we want to spend more in one place we must first spend less in another place. We cannot rebuild confidence in this country and this economy if Washington continues to avoid even the most basic economic accountability.”