Welch says Washington should adopt Vermont commitment to truth in budgeting

Montpelier, Vt - At a State House press conference, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch said the budget proposed by the Bush Administration earlier this week is morally bankrupt and continues on a path of fiscal irresponsibility.

"Responsible leaders are honest about where they spend taxpayer dollars and make a commitment to live within our means. President Bush has failed on both counts in the budget he presented to Congress," Welch said.

"Fiscal responsibility begins with being truthful about how much money is being spent," said Welch. "While the President admits to a $2.77 trillion budget, he fails to include major expenditures like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Gulf Coast relief in his budget.

"Fiscal responsibility means paying your bills. Under the President,s spending plan, the federal deficit will increase to $423 billion. This is more of the same from a fiscally reckless Republican Congress and President that have turned a record $281 billion into a deficit exceeding $400 billion.

"The road map to fiscal responsibility is not a complicated one, but it requires discipline and a commitment from everyone involved to work for the common good. Every year we fulfill our obligations in Vermont with a bipartisan commitment. Vermont has set an example that our national leaders should follow," said Welch.

Welch outlined the following "roadmap to fiscal responsibility" for Washington:

1. Pay as you go. In Vermont, we have a commitment to paying for the demands of government and not shifting the burden to future generations. The $423 billion deficit is not consistent with Vermont,s commitment to fiscal responsibility.
2. Take politics out of earmarks. In Vermont, we have a bipartisan process for making government funds available for local projects that has taken the politics out of the process. Since 1995, when the Republican Party took control of Congress, the number of earmarked projects has risen from 1,439 to nearly 14,000.
3. Truth in budgeting. In Vermont, we have a commitment to transparent budgeting and recognizing our obligations. The President,s failure to include major expenditures like the war in Iraq is both fiscally dishonest and a roadblock to charting a responsible fiscal course. Since 2003, the President has requested $251.4 billion in off budget funding for Iraq, Afghanistan, and hurricane relief.

"This President calls himself a 'compassionate conservative., There is nothing conservative about a $423 billion deficit and there is nothing compassionate about passing our debt on to the next generation," said Welch.

"Congress, more than ever, must put a stop to this irresponsible agenda. The states cannot continue to bare the burden for federal fiscal mismanagement," concluded Welch.
February 9, 2006

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