(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released its analysis of presidential contenders Al Gore and George W. Bush’s spending proposals.

By CAGW’s calculation, Gore's total spending in the first five years of his administration comes to an obese $2.2 trillion, three times Bush's $712 billion.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates during these years the  combined surpluses - general revenue and Social Security - will be a total of $1.4 trillion. In other words, from 2001 to 2005, Gore would lay out more in deficit spending - about $800 billion - than Bush has proposed in total new spending.

“With federal spending and tax burdens at historic highs, with rampant inefficiency and waste in government, it is incredible Al Gore would propose more than $2 trillion in new spending,” CAGW President Thomas A. Schatz said.  “Is there any problem he doesn’t think should be papered over with tax dollars?”

“For the last two years, we have said that if some of the surplus isn’t returned to taxpayers, it would be spent on bigger government.  Gore, instead of maintaining fiscal discipline and pushing to further reduce waste, is trying to spend his way into the White House,” Schatz continued. 

“Furthermore, it is scandalous that Gore would re-institute the annual raids on Social Security and bring back budget deficits,” Schatz added.  “This kind of government expansion is totally unwarranted and irresponsible, particularly since there are already hundreds of billions of dollars in annual waste, fraud, and abuse.  This risky spending scheme threatens our prosperity now and in the future.”

The Gore and Bush spending analyses can be found at:

http://www.cagw.org/publications/spendingmeter/index.htm

Or call CAGW Media Director Sean Rushton at (202) 467-5300 for a hard copy or to arrange interviews.

CAGW is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.