President Obama’s Proposed Spending “Freeze” is Too Little, Too Late

Former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)- “President Obama’s spending ‘freeze’ proposal makes it clear he still isn’t taking the growing deficit and national debt seriously.”

Contact: Chris Barron
(202) 286-4533

(Washington, D.C.) – Tonight, in his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama proposed a three year “freeze” on non-defense discretionary spending. “President Obama’s spending ‘freeze’ proposal makes it clear he still isn’t taking the growing deficit and national debt seriously,” said, former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), President of the Republican Main Street Partnership. “Instead of offering substantive solutions, the President has chosen to offer what amounts to little more than election year window-dressing.”

During President Obama’s first year in office, non-discretionary spending grew by a whopping 17.4%. Additionally, the President’s proposed “freeze” wouldn’t take effect until October.

“Between now and October, the Democratic Congress will be given plenty of time to pass another expensive and ineffective stimulus bill, expensive and unpopular healthcare reform, and plenty of time for the special interests to look to get their cut.”

“What we need right now is real leadership in Washington. Real leadership that will make the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget,” said former U.S. Rep. Amory Houghton (R-NY), Chairman of the Board of RMSP. “What we don’t need is an election year gimmick.”

“Main Street and our centrist elected members have long been leaders in the fight for fiscal sanity in Washington. It is time to stop talking and start acting to reign in runaway deficits and reduce our growing national debt. We urge President Obama and the Democratic leaders in Congress to work with centrist Republicans to work to find substantive ways to balance our budgets,” concluded Davis.

The Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP) is dedicated to promoting and building a pragmatic, thoughtful, fiscally conservative, and inclusive “Governing Majority,” where political debate is encouraged to promote solutions to improve the lives of all Americans. Embracing the full spectrum of center-right ideologies and values in order to build coalitions, RMSP is the largest organization of elected leaders who are in the mold of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. For more information on RMSP, visit our website at www.republicanmainstreet.org.