David Minge: “I will support the Penny-Kasich motion because I believe that we must continue to pursue options to reduce Federal…”

“I will support the Penny-Kasich motion because I believe that we must continue to pursue options to reduce Federal spending and bring our Federal deficit under reasonable control. However, spending cuts must be part of a balanced approach. We need to look at all sides of deficit reduction, including the income side, or more accurately, the nonincome side. It would not be popular, and it may even be quite painful for many of my colleagues, but we must be even-handed in our deliberations on deficit reduction. It is not enough to recommend an arbitrary $26 billion in cuts in discretionary programs--many of which have already felt the budget ax--while ignoring entitlement programs and the myriad provisions of the tax code through which the Federal Government makes tax expenditures by foregoing tax revenues. To eliminate the deficit, we need a military base closing commission approach. Everything should be on the table. Nothing is so sacred it cannot be considered. We even need to ask if tax free bonds are the fairest, most efficient way for the Federal Government to provide assistance to municipalities, localities and States. I believe that any meaningful examination of Federal revenues and expenditures must include close, unbiased analysis of the various means whereby we spend through the creation and continuation of programs and the authorization and appropriation of funds.”