Last week, I voted against the Continuing Resolution – a short term spending bill that funds the government through December 23rd. I have continuously called on my colleagues – Democrat and Republican alike – to return to a responsible and thorough process for developing the federal budget. I refuse to accept the Washington presumption that nothing in the budget can be cut in order to fund priorities without increasing the deficit.
I promised my constituents that I would work hard to reduce government spending. I have done that by sponsoring legislation that would require a balanced federal budget, supporting the Budget Control Act and opposing budgets that reversed those spending cuts. I have reduced my office’s budget – returning more than $4 million in taxpayer dollars – and I annually roll my salary back to the 2008 levels. If all federal government spending was rolled back to the 2008 amounts, we would no longer have a budget deficit and could begin to pay down our debts.
I will continue fighting to reform Washington and oppose my colleagues’ exorbitant and dangerous spending habit. I am confident we can set our nation on a responsible fiscal path while investing in critical priorities, including border security, infrastructure projects, and our military. It starts with Congress rejecting the practice of last-minute funding deals and policies that restrict economic growth.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.