Joe Pitts: “This week the House and Senate will consider a bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year that reduces…”

“This week the House and Senate will consider a bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year that reduces spending by $38.5 billion. Considering that the position of Harry Reid at the beginning of the year was that we shouldn't cut a single dime, we have moved the conversation in the right direction. Senator Schumer called Republican cuts ``extreme,'' but even the full $61 billion that the House pushed for would have only made a small dent in our huge deficit. The real extreme position is to do nothing. If we do nothing, interest payments and entitlement spending will consume the entire budget. If we do nothing, we will lose the capability to defend our Nation. If we do nothing, our roads and rails will crumble. This week Republicans will present an alternative to the do-nothing strategy. For that, we will certainly be labeled ``extreme.'' We have a great Nation; but as long as we are beholden to our creditors, foreign and domestic, we risk losing prosperity and freedom. We shouldn't wait any longer to get our budget in order. We can begin this week, but we shouldn't stop until we have passed long-term solutions. ____________________”