The Democrats’ FY 2008 Budget Resolution, which was adopted yesterday, calls for a large increase in federal spending. If you compare the Democrat budget for discretionary spending to the President’s, the difference is roughly $23 billion. In other words, holding the line at the President’s lower spending level for discretionary spending, would mean a savings of $23 billion for taxpayers.
The Administration has already threatened to veto bills that spend more money than requested. House Republicans need to make sure that these vetoes can be sustained. And with $23 billion of taxpayer money at stake, this showdown may be the most consequential fight to restrain spending that will take place this year.
That is why Paul Ryan, Jeb Hensarling, Dave Weldon, and myself, are seeking signatures on a letter to the President stating that we will uphold his vetoes of spending bills that would contribute toward an overall spending level that exceeds the President’s request.
78 Members have so far signed this letter: Bachmann, Bachus, Barrett, Bartlett, Bilbray, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Boozman, Boustany, Brady, Brown (SC), Burton, Buyer, Campbell, Cantor, Chabot, Conaway, David Davis, Mario Diaz-Balart, Doolittle, Dreier, Duncan, Fallin, Feeney, Flake, Garrett, Gingrey, Goode, Hensarling, Herger, Hoekstra, Hunter, Inglis, Issa, Johnson (TX), Jordan, King (NY), King (IA), Kingston, Kline, Lamborn, Lungren, Mack, Manzullo, Marchant, McCarthy (CA), McCotter, McHenry, Mica, Miller (CA), Musgrave, Myrick, Neugebauer, Nunes, Paul, Pearce, Pence, Pitts, Price (GA), Putnam, Rohrabacher, Roskam, Royce, Ryan, Sali, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Schmidt, Shadegg, Smith (TX), Stearns, Tancredo, Walberg, Walden, Weldon, and Westmoreland.
146 votes are needed to sustain a veto. So we will keep working to get signatures until we have at least that many—right now we are slightly more than halfway there. Green Eyeshade Blog will update you to new signatures as they come in.
