RSC Spending Reduction Proposals Provide Roadmap To Balanced Federal Budget

ALEXANDRIA, VA— The American Conservative Union, the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative lobbying organization, today applauded the spending reduction and budget process reform proposals announced by the House Republican Study Committee.

“The massive increase in federal spending in recent years and the resulting explosion of the overall federal debt cannot be ignored,” said David A. Keene, Chairman of ACU. “If Congress is to reverse this trend and restore real fiscal discipline, it will be because of the efforts of Congressmen Mike Pence and Jeb Hensarling and their colleagues on the House Republican Study Committee.”

Major elements of the RSC spending reduction proposal include:

• Balancing the budget within five years;
• Eliminating over 150 federal programs;
• Providing for pro-growth tax policy (guarding against automatic tax increases);
• Reconciliation/entitlement reform;
• Budget process reform;
• Making real reductions in discretionary spending;
• Increasing defense spending;
• Decreasing foreign aid;
• Significantly restructuring three cabinet agencies.

In announcing the budget proposal, RSC Chairman Mike Pence commented: "With record deficits and debt, the time has come to level with the American people; we are not living within our means. The RSC budget will renew our commitment to fiscal discipline and reform by balancing the budget and paying down our national debt.”