Washington D.C. - Ways and Means Ranking Member Jim McCrery issued the following statement today after House Democrats unveiled their FY 2009 budget proposal:

"With the plan they unveiled today, Democrats have again shown their commitment to and dependence upon substantial growth in federal revenues.  Due to their devotion to the false idol known as "PAYGO," 116 million American taxpayers face an average tax increase of $2,000.  If Congress does not act, taxes will increase on families who have children, men and women who are married, people whose parents die, those who save, and small business investment.  Even millions of Americans who currently pay no federal income taxes will suffer from this plan.

 "At the same time, the current growth in spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security is not sustainable.  As their costs continue to grow exponentially, the need for entitlement reform becomes greater.  Yet, the Democrat budget assumes no reform and provides no tools to address this growing crisis.  Instead, it puts the burden of this problem on future generations.  That is not leadership, it’s merely buck-passing.

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