The Burton Blog

Burton Opposes Sham Deficit Reduction Deal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives' approved the deficit reduction deal negotiated with President Obama and Senate Democrats:

"Our nation has never defaulted in its history and we must take action to continue to meet our financial obligations.  However, in good conscience I could not support the deficit reduction package worked out this past weekend.  I have said repeatedly that Washington does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem and this bill does nothing to change the spending culture ingrained in Washington."

“First, A Balanced Budget Amendment is the ONLY way to finally force Washington to live within its means.  However, unlike the Cut, Cap and Balance Act or the Boehner proposal passed by the House of Representatives, the deficit reduction deal does not require a Balanced Budget Amendment be sent to the States for ratification before the President is granted a debt ceiling increase; it merely requires a vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment.  Passing a Balanced Budget Amendment requires a 2/3rds vote in the House and Senate and a majority of Democrats have already expressed opposition to a Balanced Budget Amendment, so obtaining the necessary votes without significant leverage - such as the threat of default - is highly unlikely;

“Second, the deficit reduction deal does not prevent future tax increases or reduce the size of government.   In fact, the deficit reduction deal assumes that all the Bush tax cuts expire in December 2012.  In other words the additional revenue is already built into the bill which would make it difficult if not impossible to meet the deficit reduction targets AND extend the Bush tax cuts beyond 2012.  In addition, the suggestion that it is impossible for the Joint Committee to raise additional tax revenue simply is not accurate, it's false;

“Third, the automatic spending cuts placed in the deal to force Congress to maintain fiscal discipline are unrealistic and unworkable.  Half of the proposed automatic cuts would come from defense programs which will undermine our ability to project power, strengthen our adversaries, and weaken our alliances.  Additional automatic cuts will come from Medicare providers; already underpaid by Medicare.  Historically Congress has rolled back any proposed cuts to Medicare providers and there is no reason to believe Congress won't do so again.  It is also unrealistic to believe Congress will allow substantial cuts to defense spending while our troops are engaged in three wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya);

“Finally, the deficit reduction deal may be unconstitutional.  The deficit reduction deal allows the President to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling subject to a resolution of disapproval by the Congress (which the President can veto).  The debt limit is a statutory requirement and must therefore be changed by law.   ONLY Congress has the power to make law not the President; and Congress cannot, and most importantly should not, surrender this power to the president.

“The American people want a solution to this crisis, not a deal that allows Washington to kick the can down the road once again. Regrettably, the deficit reduction deal is not that solution.”

Rep. Burton Votes Against Harry Reid’s Blank Check to President Obama

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after voting against Senator Harry Reid’s debt ceiling proposal:

“The White House and Congressional Democrats have brought this country to the brink of fiscal collapse because they refuse to accept that Washington doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.  No grand bargain was ever close, but in the last two weeks, the House has sent the Senate two bills that would have allowed for a debt ceiling increase, but without a needless increase in spending or higher taxes.  Additionally, earlier this year, the House sent the Senate a budget that could have avoided this whole mess.  Meanwhile, the President continues to offer no plan of his own and Harry Reid cobbled together a plan that even the Congressional Budget Office said was loaded with gimmicks and cuts to our fighting men and women overseas. 

“We are reaching the point of no return and while negotiations in Washington could lead to a deadline deal, Americans want a solution.  They want Washington’s out of control spending cut and capped, they don’t want to see their taxes increased and 75% of Americans favor a Balanced Budget Amendment; three basic principles in the House bills.  If every American family and business as well as 49 out of 50 states have to live within their means, then so should Washington.“

Rep. Burton Applauds House Passage of Cut, Cap and Balance

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives approved H.R. 2560 the Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011:

“I have said it time and again; Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Today, the House has taken an important and critical step towards getting our economy back on track and our Nation’s fiscal House in order.  The House Republican Cut, Cap and Balance Plan immediately rolls back the Obama Administration's unprecedented spending spree; sets enforceable caps on spending going forward and clears the way for Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution which will prevent Washington from ever running up the national credit card again.

“While the House has proven that we are willing to take on the hard decisions that need to be made, this Administration seems far more interested in engaging in political theater. The President's threat to veto rather than embracing the pragmatic ideas of Cut, Cap and Balance continue this Administration's long-standing policy of putting politics above all else.”

Burton Signs On To “Cut, Cap, Balance Pledge”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after signing the “Cut, Cap, Balance Pledge” which promises to oppose any debt limit increase without substantial spending cuts for the upcoming year, caps on federal spending, and a strong Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.

“The CBO’s recent economic forecast paints a very sobering picture of what the future holds for our Nation if Washington does not immediately cease spending money it doesn’t have!  The CBO projects by the end of this year, the federal debt will reach roughly 70 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) – the highest percentage since shortly after World War II by the year’s end; which is terrible news for our job seekers and job creators. Furthermore, with U.S. public debt set to reach 100 percent of GDP in 2021, time is beginning to work against us as we try to put our Nation back on course towards fiscal sanity."

“The time for action is now. That is why I have signed the “Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge” which supports immediate and substantial spending cuts, enforceable spending caps and Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.  The American people are tired of games being played with their pocketbooks and their futures.  These are the kinds of measures that must be taken to avert a complete debt crisis.”

Background:

The RSC’s “Cut, Cap, and Balance” proposal includes:

1.    Immediate spending cuts to reduce the deficit by half next year.  According to March projections from the Congressional Budget Office, this would require spending cuts of approximately $380 billion in the 2012 fiscal year.

2.    Statutory, enforceable caps that bring spending into line with average revenues.  These caps would ratchet total federal spending down to 18% of GDP over the course of 5-6 years.

3.    House and Senate passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that includes a spending cap at 18% of GDP and a supermajority requirement for tax increases.  The House Judiciary Committee and all 47 GOP Senators have endorsed Balanced Budget Amendments along these lines.

View the PDF of the signed copy of the pledge.

Burton Blasts Obama Administration For Cutting Non-Union Delphi Worker Pensions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) a senior member on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued the following statement regarding today's Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending Subcommittee hearing on the General Motors bankruptcy and termination of Delphi Corporation's pension plans.

“E-mails uncovered by the Committee, and obtained by the website DailyCaller.com, clearly indicate that the Obama Administration was more deeply involved in the decision-making surrounding the General Motors/Delphi Corporation bankruptcy than previously admitted.  These emails also clearly show that the Administration was deliberately trying to influence GM to make the pensions of their union retirees whole but made no attempt to persuade GM to treat Delphi's salaried retirees similarly.   What is most frustrating is that this unprecedented decision to protect the pensions of some Americans - whom the Administration viewed as natural political allies - at the expense of other Americans was paid for with taxpayers' dollars.

“I thank Chairman Issa, and Subcommittee Chairman Jordan for holding this hearing. Despite the Administration's attempt to stonewall the investigation by instructing their witness Ron Bloom to simply decline to answer questions about the Delphi pension, I am confident that the Committee will continue to fight to uncover the truth.  The salaried retirees have been compelled, not asked but compelled, to bear extra burdens to help restructure the American auto industry. They, along with their families, deserve to know why.  I am not going to stop investigating this matter until I get some answers."

Below is testimony from today’s Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending Subcommittee hearing in which Rep. Burton questions Senior Obama Administration official, Ron Bloom:

Rep. Burton Votes Against Raising the Debt Ceiling

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after voting against raising our Nation’s debt ceiling this evening:

“As our Nation’s debt continues to spiral out of control, it is foolhardy to believe that we can continue to do business as usual, robbing Peter to pay Paul to the detriment of the American people.  Every single day, there are Hoosiers in my district and Americans across our Nation, who continue to tighten their economic belts in a desperate effort to keep their financial house in order, hoping to fend off the ill effects of a uncertain and increasingly fatigued economy.  Unfortunately, this Administration has seen fit to not follow their laudable example. Instead, the President is opting to make the rules up as he goes along, proposing to raise our debt ceiling in a vain attempt to excuse his irresponsible spending initiatives. 

“We can no longer absorb this kind of debt without engaging dramatic cuts in spending.  I will not vote for any kind of increase in the debt ceiling so long as Washington’s careless spending continues to rage out of control.”

Rep. Burton Votes to Put the Gulf Back to Work and Expand Domestic Energy Production

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issues the following statement after passage of H.R. 1229 the "Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act" and H.R. 1231 the “Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act”.  These bills, two small pieces of the Republican Majority’s greater American Energy Initiative, would safely end the de facto moratorium on offshore energy production imposed by the Obama Administration as well as direct the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to make drilling leases both readily available and expeditiously processed, putting America firmly on the path to energy independence.

“Americans are enduring gasoline prices near a $4 national average which in turn are hurting families, costing jobs and threatening our Nation’s fragile economic recovery.  Despite the Obama’s Administration’s irresponsible regulations inhibiting the production of domestically produced energy, Republicans have taken action to remove burdensome barriers on home grown energy cultivation that will create job growth, help to lower the costs of gasoline and lead America towards energy independence. 

“I have long been a vocal proponent for more domestic energy production and we can no longer sit on the sidelines while Hoosiers and the rest of America are hurting.  Instead of relying on and subsidizing foreign sources of energy, we should rely on our own.”

Burton Featured on Fox News About Constituents' Rising Concerns

Thanks to Josh Gillespie of Hoosier Access for highlighting this video on his blog.

Tax Credits for ALL home buyers

Congressman Burton is cosponsoring a bill to give all home buyers a $15,000 or 10% off list price tax credit.  The National Association of Home Builders is one organization in support of this legislation.  The NAHB feels that allowing home buyers a tax credit versus a tax credit for home builders will be more beneficial to both.  Tim Turner writes more about the housing industry in his Kokomo Perspective article.

Burton agrees with Van Natter and the NAHB, and he is cosponsoring legislation to give all homebuyers a $15,000 tax credit or 10 percent of the purchase price, whichever is less.

"The housing industry is in a depression right now, and we need more than just the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers,” Burton said.

The legislation would prevent misuse by forcing the person to repay the credit if the house is sold within two years of being purchased. The legislation would also sunset the original $8,000 credit to first-time homebuyers.

The $15,000 homebuyer tax credit will result in nearly 500,000 additional home sales and create 255,000 new jobs in the year ahead, according to research conducted by the NAHB.