Washington, DC – Rep. Tom Price (GA-06-R) issued the following statement after Democrats failed to apply PAYGO budget principles to H.R. 569, the Water Quality Investment Act.

The Promise:

“Our New Direction is committed to ‘Pay As You Go’ budgeting – no more deficit spending. We are committed to auditing the books and subjecting every facet of federal spending to tough budget discipline and accountability, forcing the Congress to choose a new direction and the right priorities for all Americans.” (Portion of A New Direction for America; proposed by House Democrats in the 109th Congress as their plan for the majority)

The Reality:

Fiscal discipline is once again a casualty of Democrat rule in the House of Representatives. H.R. 569 authorizes $1.71 billion for an expired grant program. More than 225 Democrats voted against an amendment applying the principle of pay-as-you-go budgeting to the new spending authorized by H.R. 569 and also requiring spending to be offset (Roll call Vote 123, 3/7/07). It appears that the pledge of no new deficit spending and PAYGO budgeting will not apply to the legislative agenda of the new majority, as promised.

“The majority seems to have sold the American people a false bill of goods – and now they’re going to stick the taxpayer with the bill! For the Democrat leadership and those who opposed my amendment, PAYGO might be a good talking point, but for the American people, it’s a promise. More importantly, it is a promise with a price tag.

“Congress will never balance its check book and spend responsibly under a leadership of broken promises. Rhetoric may win elections, but it does not pay the bills.”

The Solution:

Positive, Principled, Solution-Oriented Leadership

Democrat Broken Promise Meter: 20

Democrats and PAYGO Promises (03/7/07)

Democrats and High Ethical Standards (03/1/07)

Democrats and Card Check vs. State Law (02/28/07)

Democrats and Troop Funding (02/15/07)

Democrats and Iraq(02/13/07)

Democrats and Card Check Flip-Flop (02/12/07)

Democrats and Special Interests (02/08/07)

Democrats and Air Tavel(02/07/07)

Democrats and Earmarks(02/02/07)

Democrats and Troop Funding (01/29/07)

Democrats and Bipartisanship(01/24/07)

Democrats and Energy Policy(01/18/07)

Democrats and Student Loans(01/16/07)

Democrats and PAYGO (1/11/07)

Democrats and National Security (1/9/07)

Democrats and Five-Day-Work-Week (1/7/07)

Democrats and 24 Hours to Review Legislation (1/3/07)

Democrats and Committee Assignments (12/27/06)

Democrats and 9/11 Recommendations (12/18/06)

Democrats and the Legislative Process (12/15/06)

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