Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Ron Kind voted against the fiscally irresponsible government spending package, which includes a number of policies unrelated to funding the government, including significantly increased spending and around $500 billion in lost revenue for the Government. The 1,773-page bill was released less than 24 hours before the final vote and fails to responsibly address our national debt.
“Today’s spending bill is yet another example of the unwillingness of Republicans and Democrats to make tough decisions surrounding our excessive spending and national debt,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “This package will skyrocket our national debt—jeopardizing the future of Social Security and Medicare, failing to prepare for the 70 million Baby Boomers who are beginning their retirement, and saddling future generations with massive debt because Congress keeps passing bills that aren’t paid for. ”
Rep. Kind’s interest in finding savings in government programs began as an intern for Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin. While interning, Rep. Kind was tasked with investigating wasteful government spending programs for Sen. Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Awards.
The spending package does include Rep. Kind’s bipartisan Giveback Deficit Reduction Act, which will require that all unused Congressional office funds be returned at the end of every fiscal year to the U.S. Treasury, and be used for deficit or debt reduction. Rep. Kind has returned nearly $2 million to the Treasury over his tenure.
Unfortunately, the $500 billion in unpaid for tax cuts, combined with the recent $2.3 trillion partisan tax bill, and the over half-trillion dollars in increased interest payments due to this reckless behavior will leave a legacy of debt that will reach far beyond our children and grandchildren.
