July 29th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government’s Bill Wilson called for Speaker Boehner to put the “Cut, Cap and Balance” debt extension legislation back on the floor with additional up front cuts and provisions directing the Administration to pay our nation’s creditors, military and seniors first.
In a letter that compliments the Speaker for his leadership in passing debt extension legislation that would keep the United States’ Triple-A credit rating by providing real budget deficit reducing cuts, Wilson encouraged the Speaker to push the bill through the House again stating, “Rather than continuing down the path which doesn’t have the votes in the House, we strongly encourage you to re-vote ‘Cut, Cap and Balance’ with two amendments.”
The amendments Wilson suggests would increase the cuts in Fiscal Year 2012 by 10 percent in response to the continuing European fiscal crisis that is a precursor to what America faces if real spending cuts are not enacted, and including legislation by Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina into the bill. The Gowdy legislation would direct the Treasury to pay the nation’s creditors first, preventing a default, and also pay the seniors and military. Remaining money could then be divided among the most essential services the government provides.
In separate comments, Wilson reminded listeners about the 1995 government shutdown crisis which was over a Republican demand that President Clinton provide Congress with a balanced budget proposal. Former Clinton press secretary George Stephanopolis revealed in his book about the Clinton presidency that the White House was one day from breaking and providing the budget that the Republicans demanded, when the Republicans lost heart and caved.
According to the memoir, All Too Human, here is what was going on in the White House at the time: “Publicly, the President was resolute; privately, he was wavering… But during the two government shutdowns that occurred in November and December, the Republican leaders themselves were our secret weapon. As much as I would love to think that we were the sole authors of our success, their self-inflicted wounds and tactical blunders made the crucial difference.”
“We were literally one day away from putting our nation on a permanent path to fiscal sanity in 1995. Congressional Republicans need to remember this lesson and stay firm now, and force Harry Reid and his Democratic majority in the Senate to explain to the American people why they support spending plans that consign our nation to economic decline,” Wilson said.
The letter was sent to every Republican member of the House of Representatives.
Attachments:
ALG Letter to U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, July 29th, 2011 at www.getliberty.org/files/LetterDebtCeiling 7-29-11.pdf.
Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.
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