Cass Ballenger: “I rise in support of the A to Z spending cuts plan and urge all of my colleagues who take deficit reduction seriously to…”

“I rise in support of the A to Z spending cuts plan and urge all of my colleagues who take deficit reduction seriously to sign the discharge petition which allows this legislation to reach the floor for a vote. A to Z is untraditional, but we have all seen where the traditional budget process has taken us--right into debt. By allowing Members to propose, debate, and then vote on specific program cuts in nonpackage form, A to Z forces every Member to go on record as to what programs he or she is willing to cut for the sake of America's economic future. Simply put, the folks throughout America will see exactly who is serious about reducing wasteful Government spending by looking at the names on the A to Z discharge petition. I have heard the A to Z plan compared to a three-ring circus. I just might agree. In ring 1, if the legislation reaches the floor, we will be stressing Government spending in terms of responsibility. In ring 2, we have accountability. And, in ring 3, we will introduce an aspect of Government spending rarely seen--affordability. A circus of fiscal responsibility. Pitch the big-top tent, because Americans have been waiting for years to see this. I urge all of my colleagues to sign the discharge petition for A to Z. Talking about reducing Government spending does nothing but allow Members to hide under a blanket of false deficit reduction commitment.”