-- Randy’s Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

May 24, 2010

Tax Limitation Amendment

Over the past several months the message hasn’t changed. The federal government spends too much, borrows too much and taxes too much. After continuously reaching record levels of debt and hearing the outrage of the American people, Democrats in Washington have yet to take any decisive action to reverse this.

Since 2009, Congress has increased spending by $1.8 trillion. This year alone, President Obama proposed record spending of $3.8 trillion in his budget and new taxes of nearly $2 trillion. While some might argue that both spending reductions and tax increases will be needed to ultimately reduce the deficit, I am concerned that Congress, which has yet to even produce a budget outline for this year, is going to have an even harder time reversing the current acceleration in spending, deficits and debt. 

In fact, as the weeks continue to pass, it’s looking more and more likely that House Democrats will fail altogether to offer a budget, which would represent the first time the House has failed to do so. The purpose of an annual Congressional budget is to create enforceable limits within which Congress can consider legislation that sets spending levels for programs and agencies.  To not even propose a budget and spending limit is throwing in the towel when it comes to reining in spending.

When it comes to addressing the trillion dollar deficits of last year, this year and the coming year, we need to address the spending first. That’s why I’m introducing a Tax Limitation Amendment.  Under this legislation, it would take a two-thirds vote in the House to increase taxes, rather than a simple majority.  A Tax Limitation Amendment means Congress can’t solve its spending problem by increasing taxes without a bipartisan vote.

The House has voted on the Tax Limitation Amendment in the past, and it’s time we take another look at this idea.  Deficits exceeding $1 trillion are reckless and unsustainable. It’s going to take difficult decisions on spending and the size of the federal government – rather than the government taking in a greater share of the economy through taxes – to truly bring the deficit down. As this amendment begins its way through the legislative process, I will be certain to keep you up to date. I hope that this amendment will force Congress to listen to the voices of the American people before they consider raising taxes as the primary means to reduce the deficit.

Recognizing Small Businesses

This week is National Small Business Week, where we recognize the efforts and achievements of entrepreneurs and small business owners in the 19th District and across the nation.

Over the past several years, a slew of legislation and new taxes have negatively impacted small businesses.  For example, the new health care law has some very detrimental side effects. According to a study by the National Center for Policy Analysis, tax credits found in the law could negatively impact hiring in small businesses because as a business hires more employees, the size of their tax credit decreases. This is not an incentive that empowers small businesses to grow. As long as these entrepreneurs are faced with uncertainty, we will continue to see unemployment near 10 percent and more American businesses forced to close.

As a former small business owner, I understand the concerns of many of these businesses in the 19th Congressional District. Knowing your worries and challenges, I remain committed to supporting policies that will encourage investment and free up funds for small businesses to hire new employees and create jobs.

As part of my Empowerment Agenda, I have introduced several pieces of legislation that would empower small businesses to succeed in the economy rather than making them dependent on government. I’m certain that if we let them, these small businesses will be the engine in our economic recovery.

Website Launch: The 19th District’s New Online Office

Over the past several weeks, my staff has been working to launch a new website that is more accessible and user-friendly. My website, www.randy.house.gov, is a virtual one-stop shop for constituent services.

I hope that you will take a moment to explore what my website has to offer, and check back often for new features. My goal is for this website to serve as a useful tool for the people of West Texas and the Big Country. If you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

YouCut

Have you cast your vote for the spending cut you want to see on the House floor this week? YouCut has received over 450,000 votes in the last two weeks.

Thanks to everyone who has participated. Take a minute to vote for this week’s cut now; a new round of programs will be posted later this week.

Question of the Week

Should the federal government, like the state of Texas, be required to have a balanced budget?

Please visit my website to submit your answer to this week’s question.