PA GOP Statement On President Obama’s Budget

Broken Promises and Fiscal Irresponsibility

HARRISBURG — Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason issued the following statement today in response to President Obama’s budget proposal:

“When Pennsylvanians need fiscal responsibility from Harrisburg, Governor Tom Corbett delivers responsible budgets that hold the line on taxes and reduces spending. When Pennsylvanians need fiscal responsibility from Washington, D.C., President Obama saddles taxpayers with trillion dollar deficits and new tax-and-spend schemes each year he’s been in office. His promise to half the deficit by the end of his first term has proven to be the latest in a long string of broken promises and empty rhetoric. President Obama should have fulfilled his promise to cut spending, just like Governor Tom Corbett did.” Chairman Rob Gleason said.

“President Obama’s broken promises will certainly come back to haunt him this November.”

From endorsed Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Steve Welch: “The president’s budget just recycles the same failed fiscal agenda that includes billions in new stimulus spending and massive tax hikes that will only further burden Pennsylvania’s job creators. For our economy to prosper, our government must restore fiscal responsibility to Washington through a balanced budget, tax reform and the repeal of burdensome regulations that hinder economic and job growth.”

Toomey: President’s Budget Is An Abdication of Leadership

“After three consecutive years of trillion-dollar-plus deficits, this budget request contains massive levels of spending and projects a $1.3 trillion budget deficit for this year – an even bigger deficit than last year. In addition to more wasteful stimulus programs, the president’s budget raises taxes on job creators at a time when we should be reforming our tax code with lower tax rates and a broader tax base to encourage more economic growth and job creation. (U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, February 13, 2012)

Dent: Statement on President’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request

“President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget request fails to reflect the severity of our nation’s fiscal challenges. Offering few genuine proposals to reduce spending and encourage economic growth, it is clear the President has abandoned his 2009 promise to cut the deficit in half by the end of his current term. Perhaps more alarming, this request lacks true leadership and reinforces the notion that the President is more concerned with his reelection than tackling the serious issues facing our nation. (U.S. Congressman Charlie Dent, February 13, 2012)

Pitts on Release of the President’s Budget

“While the President says his budget will create an ‘economy built to last,’ trillion dollar deficits are no foundation for the future. We cannot have a healthy economy when our debt outpaces growth. (Pitts on Release of the President’s Budget. February 13, 2012.)

Corbett Unveils Business Friendly Budget

Gov. Tom Corbett today unveiled a $27.14 billion budget proposal for 2012-13 that reduces spending by $20 million and holds the line on taxes.

The Republican governor’s second budget, which he calls “lean and demanding,” largely picks up where the administration left off in year one. Corbett has pushed for a culture change to one of enterprise from one of entitlement. Spending has been reduced to “fit the realities of our time,” he said. “When you don’t have enough to spend, you spend less.” The commonwealth is running a deficit of about $500 million and the shortfall is projected to be more than $700 million by the end of the fiscal year June 30. (Scott, Jason. Corbett unveils business-friendly budget. Central Penn Business Journal. February 7, 2012.)

Corbett tightens belt. Governor’s budget has no tax increase, $22 million in cuts

Gov. Tom Corbett proposed a balanced $27.1 billion state budget to the General Assembly for 2012-13.

It included no tax increases and a spending reduction of about $22 million.

“We are still living through a difficult economic time of our lives. I bring a budget reflecting those times,” Corbett said. “Lean and demanding.”

And like jumping into a cold swimming pool, the second time around a budget with Corbett’s conservative Republican philosophy may have been less shocking for General Assembly members accustomed to former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell’s tax and spend mentality. (O’Reilly, Russ. Corbett tightens belt. Governor’s budget has no tax increase, $22 million in cuts. Altoona Mirrior. February 8, 2012.)

Obama budget sees increased deficit

President Obama’s 2013 budget due out Monday will estimate the deficit for 2012 to be $1.33 trillion, higher than the $1.29 trillion deficit in 2011, according to senior administration officials.

The increase happens largely because the budget assumes enactment of a $350 billion stimulus package, including extension of the payroll tax cut. That package is a scaled-down version of the $447 billion American Jobs Act that Obama proposed in the fall.

The budget estimates that the deficit in 2013 will be $901 billion. This means that Obama will fail to cut the deficit in half after his first term, something he once vowed to do. (Wasson, Erik. Obama budget sees increased deficit. The Hill. February 10, 2012.)

Obama’s Broken Deficit Promise

“This is big,” wrote White House director of new media Macon Phillips in a February 23, 2009 blog post, “the President today promised that by the end of his first term, he will cut in half the massive federal deficit we’ve inherited. And we’ll do it in a new way: honestly and candidly.”

Indeed, President Obama did make that promise that day, saying, “today I’m pledging to cut the deficit we inherited in half by the end of my first term in office. This will not be easy. It will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges we’ve long neglected. But I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay — and that means taking responsibility right now, in this administration, for getting our spending under control.”

The 2013 budget the president submitted today does not come close to meeting this promise of being reduced to $650 billion for fiscal year 2013. (Tapper, Jake. Obama’s Broken Deficit Promise. ABC News. February 13, 2012.)

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