Calls for Bipartisan Rejection of Rules that Permit Budget Busting
Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – Queens and Brooklyn) sent the following letter to all GOP Houses members:
Dear Republican Colleague:
In the Rules of the House that your Republican leadership have proposed, all legislation must be paid for. This is commendable. What is not commendable, however, is an exemption big enough to drive a $1 trillion truck through.
You see, your much ballyhooed effort to repeal health care is a well documented budget buster. In a letter to the Speaker, the Congressional Budget Office stated that repealing health care reform would add $1.3 trillion over 20 years to the deficit. Republican leadership acknowledge as much by exempting any bill related to health from its cut-as-you-go rules.
You have come to Washington with the mission to reduce the federal deficit. I’m with you on this and we can both agree that the deficit is a problem that will require a serious solution. However creating gigantic exemptions to fiscal discipline rules on the first day of the new Congressional session is no way to do this.
So your first test is on your first vote. Tell your leadership you mean business. Tell them you won’t vote for any Rules package that exempts any legislation from passing without being paid for, including attempts to repeal health care reform laws.
Your constituents elected you to Washington to reform government spending. Don’t let the 112th Congress be known as the Hypocrite Congress on its very first day.
Sincerely,
ANTHONY D. WEINER
Member of Congress
