On the recordJuly 20, 2010
In the last month alone, I've hosted 11 listening sessions around Montana, promising to bring their message back to Washington with me. The message is Montanans are fed up with the reckless spending that every man, woman, and child is on the hook for more than $40,000 in Federal debt. I heard them, which is why I joined the House Republicans in their earmark moratorium, but not everyone is listening. In three appropriations subcommittee meetings, I have offered amendments to freeze spending at fiscal year 2010 levels. My amendments would have saved the taxpayers more than $18 billion. But each time, they were rejected on a party-line vote. See, the President has even promised a spending freeze next year. So this year they're increasing spending to compensate. It's a sneaky shell game that only ensures that the taxpayers lose. But Montanans told me loud and clear they want spending reform, and that's what I'm going to do, and I'm going to keep fighting for it every day I'm here.
