Congressman Luke Messer Introduces Budget Transparency Bill

Today, Congressman Luke Messer introduced legislation that would require the annual budget submission of the President to Congress to include the cost-per-taxpayer of the deficit for each year the budget is projected to be in deficit. The legislation is the first bill Messer has sponsored as U.S. Representative.

“Hard-working American taxpayers deserve to know what their share of the proposed annual deficit would be if the President’s budget does not balance,” said Messer.  “Most Americans would be shocked if they knew how much the Federal government’s free-spending ways are costing them.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, there were about 145 million individual income tax returns filed in the most recent year for which data is available.  That means the one-trillion dollar shortfall in the President’s last budget cost each about $6,896.  The total tab for the past four years of trillion dollar deficits comes to around $27,584 per taxpayer.

“This requirement would be a powerful reminder to the President and Congress that our decisions have real-world consequences,” Messer continued.  I hope that by making this information easily accessible, legislators and our constituents will understand the impact of these fiscally irresponsible spending decisions proposed by the President.”

Last week, the House unanimously approved an amendment sponsored by Messer to require President Obama to estimate the cost-per-taxpayer of the annual deficit for each year his proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget is not balanced.  The bill Messer introduced today will require every President, now and in the future, to include this calculation in the Administration’s annual budget submission.

About Luke Messer

Luke Messer is the Congressman for Indiana’s 6th Congressional District, a 19 county region of east-central and southeastern Indiana comprised of manufacturing and agricultural communities. Elected President of the Republican Freshman Class by his peers, Messer serves on the House Committees on Budget, Foreign Affairs, and Education & the Workforce.

Luke and his wife Jennifer have two daughters, one son and three dogs.  Luke has also served as an elder at his church and is the author of a children's book about Indiana titled “Hoosier Heart.” To learn more about Luke Messer, log on to www.Messer.House.gov.

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