“Over the last few years there have been several proposals to curtail the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) intrusion into the American homes. These include proposals to implement a flat tax or a national sales tax,” said Simpson. “I believe the most effective course of action is to sunset the current complex and unfair federal tax code and replace it with a simple and fair alternative.” Read more »

“As I talk to farmers, ranchers, and businesses throughout Idaho about the economic challenges they face, the common theme I hear is that tax and regulatory uncertainty has forced them to hunker down and wait out the economic storm, rather than investing in their businesses and creating new jobs,” said Simpson. “If we truly want to get our budget deficit under control, we need to get our economy going again. Regrettably, instead of providing our nation’s job creators with the certainty they need to jumpstart our economy, this bill only creates more uncertainty and piles even more debt on our children and grandchildren through its inclusion of countless extraneous provisions.” Read more »

Sadly, today’s vote to extend unemployment insurance through February 2011 was nothing more than political posturing on the part of the outgoing Democrat majority. The bill is unpaid for and would have added $12 billion directly to the national debt while vast reserves of stimulus money still sits unused. By bringing the bill under a rule that prohibits debate or amendments and requires a 2/3 vote for passage, the Democrats knew it would not pass. Read more »

“During a time when the national debt is nearly $14 trillion, this is unacceptable and the American people are demanding a stop to federal spending,” said Simpson. “This legislation is the first step toward reducing the deficit. It is vital that we pass this bill as soon as possible.” Read more »

“I cannot support any piece of legislation that locks in place for the next fiscal year the unsustainable spending levels of the past fiscal year,” said Simpson, a member of the House Budget Committee. “Virtually everyone in America knows that Congress has to cut spending, and the Continuing Resolution would have been a great place to start. Unfortunately, Democrats have missed yet again an opportunity to cut the federal budget and instead are content to continue down the path of even more spending and borrowing.” Read more »

“All taxpaying Americans have benefited from marriage penalty relief, increased child tax credits, and a reduced tax burden on their income and their investments,” said Simpson. “Right now American families are struggling to make ends meet and small businesses are facing the possibility of laying off employees or closing their doors, and I simply don’t believe that a huge tax increase on families and job creators is the best way to get our economy growing again.” Read more »

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.” Read more »

“My main take-away from this hearing is that Chairman Bernanke, our nation’s top banker, feels that Congress' inability to address the national debt or to pass a budget will have a negative effect on the economy,” said Simpson. He added, “The American people are demanding a plan to address the national debt and pass a responsible budget. Democratic leadership and the Administration must present a plan, or in the very least, allow the Republicans to put theirs forward.” Read more »

“Every year the House Budget Committee starts the budget process by creating the federal budget resolution, which then goes to the House floor for a vote.  It is one of the few things that Congress must do every year: it sets the spending framework within which Congress must work that year, and creates a budget picture for years into the future. It is one of the basic responsibilities of… Read more »