04.10.13

Murkowski Critical of President’s Budget

Senator: President Once Again is Leading from Behind, Deeper into Debt

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the budget proposal submitted to Congress by President Obama, originally due for introduction on February 4th, saying:

“The President once again is leading from behind, this time leading us deeper into debt.  65 days after his budget was due and two-plus weeks after we voted on the Senate budget, the President is now entering the budget conversation, after the smoke has cleared – with a plan for billions more in tax and spend policy.

“Everyone in the country realizes that the current financial path we are on is unsustainable, but the President’s budget would increase our spending by $170 trillion in the first year along. So while the administration claims to be laying out a 10-year plan to reduce spending in the long run, they’re passing the buck – trillions of bucks, actually – to whomever sits in the White House next.

“It is true that the President has acknowledged the obvious step that I’ve advocated for – that mandatory spending programs must be reformed to make Medicare and Social Security sustainable for the future – but his solution is nip and tuck where we need more substantive reforms.  As for taxes, the President continues to push tax hikes on a small number of Americans and scapegoating certain industries when it is clear that we need comprehensive individual and corporate tax reform that is simpler and fairer.”

(See attached photo for Senator Murkowski’s thoughts via tweet)

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