Congressman Mike Simpson joined 210 of his colleagues in the House of Representatives in opposing the congressional budget resolution for fiscal year 2009.  The proposal raises taxes on American families in order to pay for an $84 billion increase in discretionary spending. 

“This budget ignores the reality of our nation’s fiscal situation by refusing to address the unrestrained growth of entitlement spending while pushing discretionary spending over $1 trillion for the first time in our nation’s history,” Simpson said.  “What is more, I am deeply concerned that this budget allows important tax relief enacted by Congress in 2001 and 2003 to expire.  At a time of economic uncertainty, we should be moving in the opposite direction.”

The Democrat budget increases the federal deficit from $8.951 trillion in 2007 to $9.575 trillion in 2008.  It also allows important tax cuts for American families and pro-growth policies to expire in 2011, creating the largest tax increase in our nation’s history.  Under this budget, Americans will face higher taxes if they are married, have children, own small businesses, or invest for their future.

Both Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke and U.S. Comptroller General Walker have warned Congress that increases in entitlement program spending are causing growing deficits that cannot be solved by higher tax rates or even faster economic growth. 

“We owe it to our children and grandchildren to produce a reasonable, responsible federal budget, and this means we must start making tough decisions today for future generations,” Simpson said.  “This budget takes the easy way out by raising taxes instead of addressing our out-of-control spending problems.”

Congressman Simpson is a cosponsor of H.J.Res. 1, a resolution that proposes a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, similar to Idaho’s law.