Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today advised the newly elected 110^th Congress to make fiscal responsibility the guiding principle in its legislative agenda. 

“Taxpayers’ outrage over spending was a key factor in yesterday’s election,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “The new Congress has a fresh opportunity to eliminate waste and reduce the tax burden.  Unfortunately, some politicians have drawn erroneous conclusions about anti-incumbent sentiment, promising even more government spending without offering any way to pay for it.”

In 1994, Republicans swept to power promising to better manage the government’s finances, yet the U.S. remains in dire fiscal straits.  CAGW offers the following recommendations: 

Budget reform.  The annual budget process encourages deficit spending, leaves little room for oversight, and is susceptible to abuse.  Pork-barrel spending has grown from $7.8 billion in fiscal 1994 to a record $29 billion in fiscal 2006, as documented by CAGW’s Congressional Pig Book.  CAGW favors the following reforms: the line-item veto; earmark reform; biennial budgeting; enforce budget caps; and offset emergency spending.  To cut the deficit, Prime Cuts 2006 catalogues 602 recommendations that could save taxpayers $289 billion in one year and $1.8 trillion over five years. 

Make the tax cuts permanent.  The 2001, 2003, and 2004 tax cuts gave working Americans much-needed relief; allowing the tax cuts to expire would hurt families and hinder economic growth.       

Agriculture reform.  The 2002 farm bill costs $25 billion per year, reversed free market reforms from the 1996 bill, and protects outdated subsidies and controls.  With the bill expiring in 2007, Congress has the chance to overhaul federal farm policy in favor of taxpayers and consumers.         

Property rights.  Integral to America’s economic success and enshrined in the Constitution, intellectual property rights are under attack by foreign governments, software pirates, and some members of Congress.  Government at all levels must also reject expensive and intrusive technology mandates, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) chips in drivers’ licenses, that leave personal and government property susceptible to theft.  Protecting private property rights through eminent domain reform is also essential.         

Entitlement reform.  Both parties are in denial over the looming crisis that will accompany the retirement of the baby boomers.  Estimates of the long-term fiscal imbalance in entitlement programs reach $60 trillion, dwarfing the government’s “official” debt of $8.6 trillion.  Unless Congress takes action, the financial well-being of future generations will be jeopardized.  

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.