Or Propose Its Own, Watchdog Says

(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President Tom Schatz today sent an open letter admonishing Congress for its mostly negative reaction to President Bush’s proposed budget cuts. 

Dear Congress:

Today President Bush proposed cutting or eliminating 150 programs, saving taxpayers about $15 billion next year.  The reactions on Capitol Hill have ranged from pessimistic, to dismissive, to alarmist.  Yet considering the $427 billion deficit projected for fiscal 2005, and that overall discretionary spending has increased 10 percent over the last two years, adopting the President’s modest cuts would be a first step toward changing the “Spend now, pay later” mentality in Congress that is largely responsible for the deficit doldrum.       

Members of Congress must consider the nation as whole before their own parochial interests.  A failure to recognize the necessity of budget cuts exposes Congress’ deepest institutional flaw:  that its members are incapable of spending restraint.  Taxpayers already shoulder an enormous burden, and the retirement of the baby boomers will put phenomenal pressure on the federal budget.  If Congress cannot eliminate obviously wasteful programs like the $142 million Advanced Technology Program, it is highly doubtful that it will reform entitlement programs. 

For all its fiscal imperfections, the Bush administration has done well at identifying and targeting poor-performing programs.  Unfortunately, members of Congress are too busy dreaming up new programs to take notice of the hundreds that have already crashed and burned.  Last year, Congress continued funding all but one of 13 poor-performing programs President Bush targeted for elimination.  You control not only the nation’s purse strings, but also the nation’s credit card – which you have swiped with reckless abandon.   

At least the President is trying to cut the deficit.  Everyone knows that his budget constitutes a gentle tap on the brake of runaway government.  Yet hypocritical members of Congress cry that the sky is falling, that veterans will go without health care, and that food will be stolen from the mouths of babes.  Shame on you!  If you care about reducing the deficit and you don’t like the President’s cuts, then propose some of your own!  At least then you would have some standing to criticize the President’s emphasis on fiscal responsibility.  We, and all taxpayers, look forward to seeing your list – and enactments – of spending cuts.   

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