For Immediate Release
Contact: Curtis Kalin 202-467-5318

February 7, 2018
 

(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President Tom Schatz issued the following statement today following the announcement of a fiscal year 2018 and 2019 budget agreement that would bust the budget caps by $300 billion:

“The 2011 Budget Control Act spending caps represent the last semblance of fiscal responsibility in Washington.  Busting the caps by $300 billion represents a 14 percent annual spending increase over current levels, which is both outrageous and unnecessary, as well as a complete abdication of fiscal discipline and accountability.

“There are plenty of options to control spending.  CAGW’s Prime Cuts database contains 607 recommendations that would save taxpayers $336.2 billion in one year and $2.3 trillion over five years.  The Government Accountability Office has released seven reports citing hundreds of billions in duplicative, fragmented, and overlapping federal programs.  The federal government also has $310 billion in unauthorized programs currently running on autopilot.  All of this documented waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement must be eliminated before any consideration is given to increasing spending.

“This additional spending could pave the way for the return of trillion-dollar deficits for the first time since President Obama’s first term.  With a businessman in the White House and a Republican majority in Congress, taxpayers should expect vigorous fiscal responsibility, not more backroom deal-cutting that further explodes America’s $20.5 trillion debt.

“This deal is dead on arrival for taxpayers.  Annihilating the caps sends the signal that members of Congress no longer care about fiscal responsibility or the voters who put them in office to control Washington’s reckless spending.  This agreement makes it impossible to tell the difference between a Republican and a Democrat.  This ‘sprout of bipartisanship’ will turn into a jungle of waste.”

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

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