(Washington, D.C.) – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste today commended House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) for proposing a fiscally responsible 2005 budget resolution that will curb spending and cut the deficit.

“Under Chairman Nussle’s leadership, Congress appears to finally be serious about addressing the record $521 billion deficit.  This budget resolution is a first step in strengthening the economy and protecting taxpayers,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “While President Bush’s proposed a near-freeze in non-defense spending in his budget, Chairman Nussle’s resolution goes further to reduce wasteful spending and keep a lid on federal expenditures.”

Elements of the House budget resolution include: freezing non-defense, discretionary spending at fiscal 2004 levels; increasing defense spending by 6.6 percent; increasing homeland security spending by 7.1 percent; holding discretionary spending to $814 billion; cutting the deficit in half over four years; reserving $50 billion for expected increases in the cost of the war on terror; and banning pork-barrel projects for one year.  Chairman Nussle will use the waste, fraud, and abuse he ordered each House committee chairman to identify last year to determine where to make appropriate cuts.

“Chairman Nussle has proposed a reasonable and innovative budget resolution that will put Congress on a much needed diet.  In fiscal 2003, pork-barrel projects cost taxpayers $22.5 billion, and while CAGW is still calculating the final cost for fiscal 2004, the proposed banishment of these projects sends a clear message to members that the feeding frenzy is now over,” Schatz continued.  “By keeping in mind future costs of the war on terror, Chairman Nussle’s budget resolution provides a more accurate long-term picture of government costs.  It had been widely anticipated that an emergency supplemental bill would have cover the costs later, distorting the fiscal 2005 deficit.”

In addition to the elimination of pork spending, Citizens Against Government Waste recommends cutting 548 wasteful programs included in the federal budget that would save $1.2 trillion over the next five years in its annual Prime Cuts publication.  The combination of cutting these programs, along with earmarks, would lead to a balanced budget even sooner.

"While much more can be done to rein in out-of-control government spending, Chairman Nussle is on the right track," Schatz concluded.  "The more than one million members and supporters of CCAGW strongly urge House members to pass this resolution in an effort to decrease waste in the federal government and bring some fiscal responsibility back to Washington."

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.