I voted no on H Con Res 25, the House Republican budget resolution for fiscal year 2014. This year's budget is almost identical to last year's budget, which didn't balance until 2038. This budget balances by 2024, which is a big improvement, but it does so largely because it accepts the $600 billion in new taxes established at the time of the so-called fiscal cliff deal (which I opposed). It *increases* government spending at the rate of approximately 3.4 percent per year.
The budget satisfies the overall discretionary spending caps provided for in the Budget Control Act (debt ceiling deal) of 2011, but it violates the two distinct caps for defense and nondefense spending required under sequestration. Instead of (temporarily) reducing defense spending, as the sequester requires, the budget shifts the cuts to nondefense spending—increasing the reduction to nondefense programs for fiscal year 2014 from $38 billion to $91 billion.
Contrary to common Republican assertions, military spending is considerably higher under Pres. Obama than under Pres. Bush, and it continues to grow. To be credible on deficit reduction, Congress must begin making reforms to military spending, which is the federal government's second largest expenditure and nearly equal to the military spending of the rest of the world combined. Nondefense spending should be reduced significantly, but it's unrealistic and bad policy to propose drastic cuts to programs at home so that exaggerated Pentagon budgets and military spending can continue unabated.
I applaud the GOP budget and Chairman Paul Ryan for presenting sound ideas about reforming health care costs, simplifying the tax code, and changing spending priorities. But a real, bipartisan compromise is necessary if we're ever truly going to balance the budget, and military spending must be part of that equation.
The concurrent resolution passed 221-207.
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