By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Congressmen Robert Aderholt (R) from Haleyville and Jo Bonner both voted for H.R. 444, the Require a PLAN Act. The legislation would require that the White House show a clear path to a balanced budget. The conservative Congressman issued a written statement to explain his vote.
Representative Aderholt said, “This week, the White House once again missed the statutory deadline to submit their budget to Congress. With trillion dollar deficits and our economy fighting to recover and grow jobs, submitting a fiscally responsible spending plan should be one of the President’s highest priorities.”
Rep. Bonner said, “Not only has the president failed to submit his new budget on time, but he has done so four out of five times since first taking office. When his budgets have arrived on Capitol Hill, they have been consistently lopsided, adding trillions of dollars in debt and deficits for the foreseeable future.”
Rep. Aderholt continued, “The bill that passed today would require the President to submit a budget to Congress that would balance within 10 years. Further, if the budget proposal does not balance, the President would be required to submit a supplemental budget that shows when his budget would balance. We must get our fiscal house in order and the economy moving again.”
Congressman Bonner said, “”Just as the House passed the ‘No Budget, No Pay Act’ last month to push the Senate to finally do its job and pass a budget, the House has voted today to send a signal to the president that the American people want their leaders in Washington to enact a responsible federal budget on time.”
Rep. Aderholt concluded, “House Republicans have done our job, we have passed sensible budget proposals that would get our economy moving again and spur job creation. I hope with the legislation passed today and the ‘No Budget, No Pay Act’ that passed in the House last month, our colleagues in the Senate and the White House will be willing to join the House in working to find real solutions to our nation’s great fiscal challenges.”
The National Debt is $16,511 billion and the current budget deficit is $1,063 billion. If current trends continue the next President will inherit a $22,622 billion debt and a $154 billion deficit.
Rep. Bonner said, “The Democrat-led Senate has failed to even pass a budget plan of its own in nearly four years. Given the White House and Senate’s disregard for submitting responsible budgets on time, it is no wonder that federal debt has risen by nearly $6 trillion since 2009.”
The “Require a Plan Act” (HR 444) passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, 253 to 167.
Congressman Robert Aderholt represents Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District. Congressman Josiah “Jo” Bonner represents Alabama’s First Congressional District.
