In the first full House Appropriations Committee markup of the year, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported a Republican proposal to limit government spending. Ranking Member Jerry Lewis offered the alternative funding proposal that would save $31 billion in FY2011 and $341 billion over the next ten years.

At today’s hearing, Congressman Mike Simpson said, “We all ought to be concerned about the debt we are incurring that we are putting on our children. We can point fingers at Republicans, at Democrats, it doesn’t matter, but everyone needs to be concerned about the debt we are piling on our children’s future, on our grandchildren’s future, and on our great-grandchildren’s future.”

He continued by addressing unemployment benefits and said that while Republicans care about extending the benefits, they think that Congress should pay for the extension. “With the size of the federal budget, don’t you think we can find $33 billion to cut in this budget to pay for unemployment benefits?”

The Republican proposal provides $1.09 trillion in regular discretionary spending for Fiscal Year 2011, which is the same as last year’s level. It will save taxpayers $31 billion this year alone, and at least $39 billion less than President Obama’s budget request. While the Administration talks about enacting a domestic spending “freeze” in their budget request, the Republican proposal is the only plan that actually holds non-defense, discretionary spending at or below last year’s levels.

“The Democrat majority has spent money hand over fist over the last three years, without regard for the consequences, and what has it gotten us? An unemployment level that is stuck at nearly 10%, disillusioned and distressed citizens, and historic levels of deficits and debt that are spiralling us into economic ruin,” Lewis said, “It is time to put a stop to this self destruction, and make tough fiscal decisions that will put us back on a sustainable and prosperous economic path.”

To watch Congressman Simpson’s entire opening statement visit his YouTube page at: http://www.youtube.com/CongMikeSimpson