Pelosi: 'Mr. President - Drop the Partisan Rhetoric, Put Down the Veto Pen'
'The President has no credibility on matters of fiscal responsibility due to his astonishing record of compiling historic deficits over the last seven years. As former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan recently observed, the President has completely abandoned fiscal discipline.
'The New Direction Congress passed a balanced budget plan that restores pay-as-you-go budget rules and rejects new deficit spending. It invests in health care for America's children, college affordability for middle class families, and homeland security improvements to better protect the American people - investments that are all fully paid for.
'I urge the President to drop the partisan rhetoric, put down his veto pen, and work with the New Direction Congress to complete this year's spending bills.'
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Office of the Speaker
September 24, 2007
Experts Agree: Bush Administration and Republican Congress Abandoned Fiscal Responsibility
'Having lost the majority in Congress and now in the twilight of his presidency, George W. Bush has become a fiscal conservative. That's quite a turnabout and requires considerable mental gymnastics to even contemplate, given Bush's record: When he took office in 2001, the federal budget was in surplus and the national debt was $5.7 trillion. The debt is now just under $9 trillion and growing.' USA Today editorial, 9/24/07
Former Fed Chief Alan Greenspan Denounces Republican Fiscal Irresponsibility
'Mr. Greenspan rattled the White House this week with his new memoir, 'The Age of Turbulence,' in which he accused the president of fiscal recklessness. Mr. Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman, argued the president put Republican politics, and the desire of lawmakers to steer tax dollars to their districts, ahead of sound fiscal policy.' [New York
Times, 9/21/07]
'During six years of Republican rule, as former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan notes with dismay in his new book, Bush vetoed not one spending bill. Now, with Democrats in charge, the president is threatening to veto virtually all of this year's spending bills. The amount saved by these vetoes would be dwarfed by Bush's request for more Iraq war spending.' [USA
Today, 9/24/07]
'Greenspan says, ' 'Deficits don't matter,' to my chagrin became part of the Republicans' rhetoric.' [Washington
Post, 9/15/07]
'Mr. Greenspan criticizes both congressional Republicans and President George W. Bush for abandoning fiscal discipline.' [Wall Street Journal, 9/15/07]
'Little value was placed on rigorous economic policy debate or the weighing of long-term consequences,' he writes of the Bush administration. [Forbes, 9/15/07]
Others Echo Fiscal Criticism
'While there may be explanations for higher spending, including the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Brian M. Reidl of Heritage says the federal budget has nonetheless grown at a rate of 7 percent a year under Mr. Bush, about twice the 3.5 percent rate under Bill Clinton.' [New York Times, 9/21/07]
'Chris Edwards of Cato says federal outlays, when adjusted for inflation, have increased faster under Mr. Bush than under any president since Jimmy Carter. 'When he gives speeches now, you hear him bashing the Democrats on overspending,' Mr. Edwards said. 'It sounds ridiculous, because we know he's a big spender.' [New York Times, 9/21/07]
'Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois also sees partisan motives in the veto strategy. GOP leaders in Congress and the administration, he said, have decided 'to put the veto threat out there, primarily on spending bills. We're trying to get our brand name back, which is 'fiscal conservatives.'' [AP, 9/24/07]
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Office of the Speaker Talking Points
September 24, 2007
Meeting America's Real Priorities - Choices Matter
The 110th Congress is taking America in a New Direction -- putting the needs of the American people first and making long-delayed investments in our future, in a fiscally responsible way, using pay as you go with no new deficit spending.
Democrats are leading the fight for America's priorities. The House has passed appropriations bills and a children's health bill that include:
- Better protecting America against terrorism, including 3,500 more firefighter grants than the President;
- Largest increase veterans' health care in history to strengthen quality care for 5.8 million veterans;
- Health coverage for 10 million children of working families;
- Health care for 1 million more Americans through community health centers;
- Safer roads and bridges, creating American jobs;
- 3,000 more border patrol agents than last year;
- Up to 9,200 more school teachers for quality education for our nation's children;
- Cancer and other life-saving medical research;
- Up to 12,000 additional police officers to combat violent crime; and
- Greater food and toy safety protections.
Republicans are fighting for President Bush's priorities. The Bush Administration has poured more than half a trillion dollars into Iraq, while claiming that we cannot afford to meet key priorities here at home. One week of U.S. spending in Iraq could have given 800,000 children health coverage for a year. Republicans have put tax breaks for the richest of the rich -- imposing more debt for future generations to pay -- ahead of strengthening America's future.
Bipartisan Support
All 12 of the House appropriations bills have won bipartisan support: Eight of 12 bills have won 40 or more Republican votes.
oHomeland Security 268-150 (45 Republican votes)
oState-Foreign Operations 241-178 (31 Republican votes)
oMilitary Construction/VA 409-2 (185 Republican votes)
oEnergy-Water 312-112 (86 Republican votes)
oInterior-Environment 272-155 (48 Republican votes)
oTransportation-HUD 268-153 (43 Republican votes)
oCommerce, Justice, Science 281-142 (55 Republican votes)
oLeg Branch 216-176 (14 Republican votes)
oFinancial Services 240-179 (18 Republican votes)
oLabor HHS 276-140 (53 Republican votes)
oAgriculture 237-18 (11 Republican votes)
oDefense 395-13 (187 Republican votes)
The New Direction Congress Is Restoring Fiscal Responsibility
The 110th Congress is taking America in a New Direction, restoring fiscal responsibility and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
\xe2\x80\xa2 Pay-as-you-go Budget Discipline Restored: Within the first 24 hours, the New Direction Congress restored strict budget discipline rules that succeeded in the 1990s in turning record deficits into record surpluses. The Congress has adhered to pay-as-you-go rules, while making investments in children's health care and in energy independence.
\xe2\x80\xa2A Budget that Balances in Five Years: The new Congress passed a budget that balances by 2012, without raising taxes. By contrast, the President's budget fails to reach balance, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In two of the last three years, the Republican-led Congress failed to adopt a final budget.
\xe2\x80\xa2Making Tough Choices: The domestic spending bills make tough choices - cutting lower priority programs so there are resources to reject the President's most harmful cuts and making targeted investments in veterans' care, education, health care, homeland security and law enforcement. They are under FY 2004 spending levels, after adjusting for inflation and population growth.
\xe2\x80\xa2No Tax Increases: The Democratic budget, adopted in May, calls for no tax increases and instead provides for additional middle-income tax relief. Leading non-partisan, budget watchdog groups, including the Concord Coalition and the Brooking Institution, confirm that the budget resolution contains no tax increases.
\xe2\x80\xa2Unprecedented Transparency in Earmarks: On day one of the 110th Congress, the Democratic-led Congress took the groundbreaking step of adopting rules that opened the process up to the light of day, with unprecedented disclosure of every project and who's requesting it, exposing such earmarks as the infamous 'Bridge to Nowhere.' And Democrats have cut in half the number 'earmarked' specific projects, reversing the Republican record of exploding earmarks.
The Record of the Last Six Years of Republican Rule
From 2001 through 2006, President Bush and the Republican-led Congress presided over the most fiscally irresponsible period in American history and this year's President's budget fails to reach balance, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
\xe2\x80\xa2From Surplus to Deficit: A $5.6 trillion, 10-year surplus under the Clinton administration became a $3 trillion, 10-year deficit--a turnaround of more than $8 trillion.
\xe2\x80\xa2Worst Deficits in History: President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress posted the three worst annual deficits in the history of the country -- $378 billion in 2003, $413 billion in 2004, and $318 billion in 2005.
\xe2\x80\xa2America's National Debt Skyrocketed: The national debt increased from $5.7 trillion when President Bush was inaugurated in 2001 to almost $9 trillion today - and increase of 56 percent. The national debt is now $29,500 for every American. And the White House requested an additional $850 billion debt ceiling increase this year.
\xe2\x80\xa2Borrowing from Foreign Countries at Record High: President Bush has borrowed more from foreign nations than all the previous American Presidents combined. Furthermore, 80 percent of the new public debt has been borrowed from foreign creditors - making our fiscal integrity a matter of national security.