Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson issued the following statement after President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight.

“Getting our out-of-control budget deficit under control must be our top priority, and it will require all Americans to participate.  Rather than criticizes the President’s proposal to freeze discretionary spending, I consider it an initial offer to Congress in what I hope will be a bipartisan dialogue that leads to real action.  I fully expect the counter offer made by House Republicans to bring more robust ideas to the table as well, and I hope these include freezing discretionary spending across the board at fiscal year 2009 levels and doing away with the irresponsible spending increases in the current year’s budget.  We should commit to staying on budget, just like any American family has to do, by doing away with off-budget, so-called ‘emergency’ measures and taking an up-or-down vote in the next two months on a constitutional amendment that requires Congress to balance the budget each year.
            “While this is by no means a comprehensive list of budget reforms that ought to be considered, it is a good start—prudent, achievable things Congress can do to bring our budget deficit under control sooner rather than later.  What is more, they are supported by the majority of Americans and can attract the votes of Senators and Representatives on both sides of the aisle.  I hope that my colleagues will see the election in Massachusetts not as a mandate to dig in their heels, but as one to engage each other in a hopeful, productive, and bipartisan effort to resolve what may ultimately be the most critical issue of our time—the exploding national debt and unsustainable growth of federal spending.  Now is the time for Members of Congress to stop preaching and start listening to the American people.”