Skip to main content

Congressman Lee votes to cut spending to '08 budget levels

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release from Congressman Chris Lee's office:

Congressman Chris Lee voted today to cut federal spending back to at least 2008 budget levels to help return fiscal responsibility to Washington.

Lee voted for H. Res. 38, which instructs the House Budget Committee to implement spending levels set for 2008 for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year.

“The majority of the Western New Yorkers I’ve spoken with want Washington to get its fiscal house in order, and I’ve heard their calls loud and clear,” Lee said. “Today’s vote sends a message that the House will not continue the incredible spending binge that we’ve seen over the last few years.

"Every second that passes, Congress adds thousands of dollars onto an already record-high $14 trillion debt, and that needs to change.”

Non-defense discretionary spending – including the failed $787 billion “stimulus” bill – has increased 84 percent from 2008 through last year, while the national debt has soared from nearly $11 trillion in 2008 to more than $14 trillion today.

“Washington needs to get serious about cutting spending so future generations are not buried under a mountain of debt,” Lee said. “Cutting overall spending to 2008 levels is an important start to getting Washington to live within its means, just as Western New York families have always done.”

Dave Olsen

This has been bouncing around the internet and e-mails for a while now. I think it is great. If you really mean Washington needs to get serious, Rep. Lee. Then how about this:

"Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. Term Limits.
12 years only, one of the possible options below..
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work."

Join up, if you like it:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=352358361536

Same should apply to the NYS Legislature

Jan 26, 2011, 9:20am Permalink
David Lazik

why doesn't he look at the notoriously bloated & out of control pentagon budget as well? to not do that is hypocritical on his part as is his silence on that issue.

Jan 27, 2011, 10:18am Permalink
John Roach

David Lazik,
Ah, my favorite NYC liberal. Lee, a Republican, like almost all Democrats, are taking their Pentagon cut ideas from Def. Sec. Gates. He has proposed a cut of 47,000 in the Army. The other branches will also be cut by 2015. Many weapon programs cuts are also being proposed. US Senator R. Paul (R) has proposed massive military cuts by bring all US forces home and closing overseas bases. But of course, you didn't know that.

I like the above ideas. Except for the term limits, that require a Constitutional amendment, all could be done by a majority vote of Congress at any time.

Maybe you can get our Democrat New York US Senators to propose them? Let us know when you ask them and what they say, OK?

Jan 27, 2011, 11:44am Permalink

Authentically Local