Westmoreland Applauds GOP FY12 Budget

Rep. Paul Ryan’s Proposal, deemed ‘The Path to Prosperity,’ Cuts $6.2 Trillion from President Obama’s Budget over the Next Ten Years

Today, Congressman Paul Ryan (WI-01), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, released the House Republican 2012 budget proposal. The proposed budget sets spending levels for the 2012 fiscal year that runs October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012, as well as for the next decade. Some of the more notable aspects of the bill including switching Medicare for those already over age 55 to provide for private health insurance rather than paying doctors directly, trimming Medicaid funding, and reforming our outdated tax code. Below is Congressman Westmoreland’s Statement.

“Unlike President Obama’s budget, which includes $1.5 trillion in new taxes and triples the debt held by the public by 2021, the GOP’s ‘Path to Prosperity’ would enact real spending reform, lower taxes, and work towards balancing our budget and paying down our national debt. In addition to keeping our promise not to raise taxes on American families and small businesses, the ‘Path to Prosperity’ addresses the pink elephant in the room that President Obama failed to: entitlement spending. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid currently account for 43 percent of our federal budget. They are the largest drivers of our debt and it’s time that Members of Congress are honest with their constituents and begin addressing them. However, if you are age 55 or older, it is important to know nothing will change in your Medicare or Social Security benefits under the GOP’s ‘Path to Prosperity.’

“Unfortunately, because of the mess Congressional Democrats and President Obama have gotten us into over the last four years, we still have a long road to go and even with these common-sense cuts, we are still looking at deficits ten years out. However, this is a good first step and I applaud Chairman Ryan and the House Budget Committee for their hard work and I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for the American people and support this budget,” stated Westmoreland.

For more information on the GOP budget proposal, visit the House Budget Committee’s website http://www.budget.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=233859.