Todd Akin skips vote on six-month spending measure

(From the Claire McCaskill campaign)

As Congress today considers legislation to fund the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year, Todd Akin’s record of fiscal mismanagement is in the spotlight once again. Missouri voters who expect accountability for their tax dollars are seeing clear contrasts between Akin, one of Washington’s top earmarkers who supported bloated Republican budgets that blew up our debt and deficits, and Claire, a fiscal watchdog who fought for federal spending caps and helped to end Congress’ corrupting culture of earmarks.

Akin skipped today’s House vote on the six-month spending measure, opting to campaign for Missouri’s Senate seat instead of performing the duties of the office to which he was elected.

“It’s telling that Todd Akin failed to show up for work today, but when it comes to protecting our tax dollars, he hasn’t been on the side of Missourians for the last 12 years,” said Erik Dorey, McCaskill for Missouri spokesman. “Budgets are about priorities, and Todd Akin’s made clear to Missouri that he’ll throw himself in front of a train to protect tax cuts for millionaires and big oil, but working families are on their own. Claire knows that restoring fiscal sanity starts with a balanced approach, while Todd Akin would shut down the federal government and leave Missouri’s families to fend for themselves.”

During his six-term career in Congress, Akin voted repeatedly for bloated Republican budgets and budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, all without ever finding a way to pay for them. With Akin’s full support, congressional Republicans under George W. Bush turned an annual budget surplus into record deficits and ballooning debt, and now refuse to entertain a balanced approach to fix the fiscal problems they created.

Claire has established a record as a fierce watchdog who’s increased fiscal accountability throughout the federal government, bucked her own party by introducing federal spending caps, and successfully led the charge for an earmark ban.

Meanwhile, Akin has repeatedly defended the corrupt practice of earmarks and was named a Top 100 earmarker before Claire’s ban went into effect. Between 2008 and 2010, Akin secured $100 million in earmarks, including $30 million in earmarks for his campaign donors.

Yesterday, Claire was endorsed by Missouri’s chapters of the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Fraternal Order of Police because of her commitment to supporting first responders, and because she knows that cutting funding for our communities and first responders is not the solution to our fiscal problems.