Woodall Speaks on Budget Reform at Leadership Press Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Rob Woodall (R-GA) joined Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and the rest of the Republican Leadership Team at today’s Leadership Press Conference. 

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Participants:

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)

Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)

Conference Vice Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

Congressman Rob Woodall (R-GA)

Congressman Woodall:

“I’m Rob Woodall and I’m a freshman from Georgia’s Seventh, and I have the pleasure of serving on the Budget Committee.  This Budget Committee has been working hard—[it] worked hard last year to produce a budget that that I think America could be proud of, and is working hard this year on ten different budget reform process issues.  You know, as a freshman, it surprised me—as I got to Washington, D.C.—it’s the only place in the country where you can spend ten dollars this year and twelve dollars next year and call that a ‘spending cut.’  I don’t understand it.  American families don’t understand it.  And we are bringing a bill to the Floor this week, on Friday, that’s going to change that.  I had the pleasure of introducing that bill.  It’s called the Baseline Reform Act, and what it says is this: when the CBO goes to score what it projects America’s spending to be, it should just follow the law.  It should follow what Congress has done.  The current process is to assume that next Congress is going to spend more than this Congress.  And in fairness, based on past Congresses, that was probably a good assumption.  But this Congress appropriated one trillion ninety-one billion [dollars] in 2010, one trillion fifty billion in 2011, and one trillion forty-three billion in 2012.  This Congress is on a downward trajectory for spending and the American people know that.  The Baseline Reform Act says, ‘no more can you spend ten dollars this year and twelve dollars next year and call that a cut.’  If you spend ten dollars this year, you need to spend ten dollars next year, and be honest, have fact-based budgeting for the first time in a long time in this institution.  And I’m so proud of Chairman Ryan and the leadership for bringing this bill forward.  Thank you.”

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