Friday, July 15, 2011

Hartzer: No new taxes


In her weekly newsletter, Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler continues ripping President Obama and the Democrats for using "scare tactics" and insists she will accept no deal that includes any new taxes.

The big talk in Washington and throughout much of the Fourth Congressional District is President Obama’s request to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. I have heard from citizens back in Missouri and I want you to know I have no intention of giving in to irresponsible borrowing and spending.

Sadly, President Obama has already begun the scare tactics regarding the debt limit. He is threatening the denial of Social Security checks and payments to veterans should a deal on the debt not be reached before August 2nd. This is irresponsible. If President Obama insists on going down this road it will be his decision and his decision, alone, to harm the most vulnerable among us. Even AARP, the country’s largest retirement lobby, has asked the President to stop using “irresponsible rhetoric.” It is time for the scare-mongering to end and for President Obama to step up and get serious about dealing with our out-of-control spending that is harming our nation.



We are encouraging the President to accept the Cut, Cap and Balance proposal for dealing with the debt crisis: It contains cuts, enforceable spending caps that will put federal spending on a path to a balanced budget and it embraces congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.



Cuts to total spending would amount to $111 billion in the 2012 fiscal year that begins October 1st. Total federal spending would then be capped with the scaling back of spending from 22.5 percent of GDP in 2012 to 19.9 percent of GDP by 2021. The third ingredient is the requirement that a Balanced Budget Amendment be passed BEFORE raising the nation’s debt limit. This is crucial as any debt ceiling increase is contingent on the Balanced Budget Amendment passing!

In short - any deal I support must include spending cuts that are greater than the increase and permanent, real budget reforms that will change the trajectory we’re on by putting the brakes on runaway spending and leading us to a balanced budget. Most importantly, there must be no new taxes. Washington is in trouble not because it taxes too little but because it spends too much. If we are to get our country back on the right track we have to take steps to encourage businesses to create jobs – that means we have to stop any talk about implementing new taxes. It is time to demand that our federal government live within its means!

As citizens along parts of the Missouri River deal with flooding and those along other parts of the river prepare for rising waters I want to assure everyone that I am looking to the future to address management of this vital waterway. This week, the House approved the Energy and Water bill that includes plans for the Missouri River. I am proud to have supported an amendment that will restrict funding for the Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan, whose vision for the Missouri River is contrary to navigation and flood control. While I believe in protecting the environment I believe it is essential to strike a balance in which the interests of farmers and businesses along the river are respected. I’ll give you an example of how out of balance priorities regarding the Missouri River have become: This year, the federal government is spending $72 million for ecosystem concerns on the Missouri River while only $6 million is being spent on construction and repair of levees that protect people, farms and businesses from flooding. It’s time to get our priorities straight.

As members of my staff and I monitor upstream dams, reservoirs, and rainfall let me assure you we are keeping a close watch on developments in the 4th Congressional District and are in contact with the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, SEMA, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to make sure emergency officials are ready to assist individuals and local authorities should breaches occur in our area. Let us continue to hope and pray our district will be spared the devastating flooding seen elsewhere.

The House Armed Services Committee held hearings, this week, touching on a couple of important issues – military voting and mishandling of remains at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. On voting, a recent report on the 2010 election showed that 33 percent of military and overseas voters reported attempting to vote, but failed to do so because they did not receive their ballot or received their ballot too late. This is unacceptable! I questioned Department of Defense officials about this intolerable situation and they have assured me they are working to solve this problem as quickly as possible. I expect military and overseas voters to be able to cast their ballots and have their votes count in each election.

As to the Arlington Cemetery disgrace, the Army Criminal Investigations Division continues its probe into possible criminal violations at the cemetery. I will do all I can to make sure the 330,000 graves of men and women who gave the last full measure of devotion for this country are properly accounted for.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What does Vicky propose that we cut to bring spending in line with revenues, given that she refuses to raise taxes?

Anonymous said...

Notice how the repukes want a balanced budget and pay for everything with a tax cut. Fuzzy math or just plain stupidity?

Anonymous said...

6:24, 7:14, 7:36,

Here's a start for you nonbelievers:

• Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies -$30M • Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy -$899M • Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability -$49M • Nuclear Energy -$169M • Fossil Energy Research -$31M • Clean Coal Technology -$18M • Strategic Petroleum Reserve -$15M • Energy Information Administration -$34M • Office of Science -$1.1B • Power Marketing Administrations -$52M • Department of Treasury -$268M • Internal Revenue Service -$593M • Treasury Forfeiture Fund -$338M • GSA Federal Buildings Fund -$1.7B • ONDCP -$69M • International Trade Administration -$93M • Economic Development Assistance -$16M • Minority Business Development Agency -$2M • National Institute of Standards and Technology -$186M • NOAA -$336M • National Drug Intelligence Center -$11M • Law Enforcement Wireless Communications -$52M • US Marshals Service -$10M • FBI -$74M • State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance -$256M • Juvenile Justice -$2.3M • COPS -$600M • NASA -$379M • NSF -$139M • Legal Services Corporation -$75M • EPA -$1.6B • Food Safety and Inspection Services -$53M • Farm Service Agency -$201M • Agriculture Research -$246M • Natural Resource Conservation Service -$46M • Rural Development Programs -$237M • WIC -$758M • International Food Aid grants -$544M • FDA -$220M • Land and Water Conservation Fund -$348M • National Archives and Record Service -$20M • DOE Loan Guarantee Authority -$1.4B • EPA ENERGY STAR -$7.4M • EPA GHG Reporting Registry -$9M • USGS -$27M • EPA Cap and Trade Technical Assistance -$5M • EPA State and Local Air Quality Management -$25M • Fish and Wildlife Service -$72M • Smithsonian -$7.3M • National Park Service -$51M • Clean Water State Revolving Fund -$700M • Drinking Water State Revolving Fund -$250M • EPA Brownfields -$48M • Forest Service -$38M • National Endowment for the Arts -$6M • National Endowment for the Humanities -$6M • Job Training Programs -$2B • Community Health Centers -$1.3B • Maternal and Child Health Block Grants -$210M • Family Planning -$327M • Poison Control Centers -$27M • CDC -$755M • NIH -$1B • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services -$96M • LIHEAP Contingency fund -$400M • Community Services Block Grant -$405M • High Speed Rail -$1B • FAA Next Gen -$234M • Amtrak -$224M • HUD Community Development Fund -$530M

Anonymous said...

Congrats anon 8:22, you just cut $22.39 billion, or a whopping 1.3 percent of the budget deficit and a whopping quarter of a percent on all federal spending in 2011, and you've crippled such meaningless federal programs as WEATHER FORECASTING, FOOD INSPECTIONS, OUR OIL RESERVE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, PRESERVING OUR HISTORY, PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND ALL ABILITY TO COLLECT REVENUE. You have essentially returned us to the 1880s with regard to protecting our food supply and our environment. You've just proven why the Bush tax cuts should go away. I'd like someone to be there to warn me when the next tornado hits or the next hurricane. Cutting NOAA just doesn't sound prudent.

Anonymous said...

For folks who want to cut spending, the tea party and the neo-cons have still not figured out that tax breaks and tax loop holes are expenditures. They are spending tax dollars that should go to the treasury by giving these breaks and loopholes to businesses and taxpayers. Talk about a political party that loves to spend. look at the Republicans.

Anonymous said...

8:48,

Do these figures represent eliminating these programs in total. I don't think so. But, trimming the size of government must start somewhere and this is a start.

It's always good to hear from another taxer and spender like you.

Anonymous said...

Call me a tax and spender or whatever you want, there are certain things I want my government to do that I don't trust private industry to do. I want government to defend my country, I want government to protect the food supply (do you really think for-profit companies will recall food that's bad) I want government to monitor the weather (Private industry is not set up to do that nationwide), I want a national park system (We've seen what private industry does to land) I want government to monitor the environment (industry is more interested in money and cleaning polution doesn't make money) I want it to build and maintain highways (another thing the private sector can't do) public education is not in that bad a shape, I want it to offer schools for those who can't afford exorbitant private tuition and maintain public colleges and universities. I want as efficient government as possible, but this idea that all government is evil is just wrong. Paying taxes is the cost of living in the greatest nation in the land.