-- Randy’s Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

October 19, 2009

President Obama’s Soaring Budget Deficit

On Friday, the Obama Administration released new deficit numbers and they were abysmal. The deficit for Fiscal Year 2009, which ended Sept. 30, totaled $1.42 trillion.  This amounts to almost $1 trillion more than the $455 federal budget deficit from Fiscal Year 2008.  Additionally, in 2009 the ratio of federal deficit to Gross Domestic Product is a staggering 10%, up from 3.2% last year.

Since January 20th of this year, the federal government has borrowed $1.2 trillion, or more than $10,500 for every household in the United States. This is outrageous. People all over the country are tightening their belts and adjusting their spending.  Why aren’t the Administration and Congress doing the same? 

Since they seem to either be having trouble understanding such a large sum of money or choose to toss aside the foundational principles of our economy, I would like to make it clear: You cannot continue this unlimited amount of spending and borrowing without facing serious consequences.

I believe we must rein in spending, which is why I have introduced H.R. 534, the Responsible Government Empowerment Act (RGEA). This legislation will improve our ability to set priorities and limit growth of government and increased spending.  The Responsible Government Empowerment Act doesn’t solve every flaw in the federal spending and budget process, but it makes improvements that make sense to Americans.  If families have to balance their budgets and make common-sense choices when spending their money, they expect the federal government to do the same with their money. 

It’s time for Congress to set limits and make the tough choices necessary to restore fiscal discipline to Washington.  We must put a stop to spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need. We must put a stop to growing our debt. If the Administration and leaders in Congress refuse to let Republicans come to the table, then they must start putting forth new proposals that will enact real reform. Real reform will lower costs and debt, not raise both when we can least afford it.

Letter to Speaker Pelosi

Speaker Pelosi and the liberal Congress are working hard in Washington to convince themselves that the American people really want government-run health care. To make matters worse, the legislation they are putting together to bring to the floor is being discussed behind close doors without any transparency. This is unacceptable. The American people deserve to know exactly what their health care reform is going to look like.

I believe you should be involved and informed in this debate which is why I sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi requesting more transparency and openness during the process. Attached to the letter, I have also included all the comments I received from my Coffee with the Congressman events in August. I believe it’s important the Speaker know exactly how the people of the 19th Congressional District feel about her government-run health care plan.

Health care reform needs to happen but the American people should not be kept in the dark. Although she chooses to ignore conservative voices, she’s going to have to start listening to her boss, the American taxpayers.

To view the text of the letter I sent to Speaker Pelosi is available here. My YouTube video can be seen here.

Removing Kevin Jennings

Last week, I joined with my 52 of my colleagues to send a letter to President Obama asking for the removal of Kevin Jennings from the Education Department's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. So far we have seen no action in response to this letter. In the name of transparency and openness, I continue to urge President Obama to remove Kevin Jennings from his position immediately.

As the founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Mr. Jennings has played an integral role in promoting a pro-homosexual agenda in America’s schools—an agenda that contradicts with the values we in the 19th Congressional District are trying to instill in our children.

As the “safe school czar”, Mr. Jennings is responsible for ensuring our schools and students are drug free.  Yet, his own history of serious drug and alcohol abuse and failing to acknowledge their dangers, puts his ability to promote a drug free lifestyle for students in doubt.  It is clear that Mr. Jennings is unfit to serve in this capacity.

Why wasn’t he properly vetted by the Administration?  The more we find out about Kevin Jennings and other so-called czars, the more we question who these individuals are and what exactly they stand for. In the wake of these revelations about Mr. Jennings, the President should remove him immediately and suspend any further appointments of these czars. Individuals who are not qualified for such positions should not be permitted to set policy that directly affects our children. President Obama should fire Kevin Jennings immediately and replace him with someone who has a record of educating children in a safe and moral environment.

Survey Results

I want to thank everyone who took the government spending survey included in the Roundup last week. For those of you who have not yet done so and would like to register your opinion on this issue, you may still access it by visiting my website.

All of your responses are a great help in directing my actions on your behalf in Washington. I wanted to give you an update on the survey results I received over the past week. An overwhelming majority of respondents believe the government is spending too much and that tax relief, instead of government spending, is the best way to stimulate the economy. Furthermore, you believe that President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and the liberal Congress are not leading our economy in the right direction. By far, the greatest concern among the people of the 19th District is the amount of debt being accumulated for our children and grandchildren to repay in the future, closely followed by the likelihood of increased taxes for small businesses and families.

As your representative in Washington, I am always interested in hearing your opinions on important legislative issues impacting the 19th Congressional District. Thank you for taking the survey, your input is invaluable. I will continue working to address your concerns, and stress the important of fiscal responsibility and accountability in our federal government.