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On the Issues: the Federal Budget

As someone committed to fiscal responsibility in our government, I share the concerns many of you have regarding our current budget deficit.  When the 111th Congress convened and President Barack Obama was sworn into office, the devastating and record-breaking deficits run up by the Bush Administration posed immediate challenges to the federal budget.  I strongly believe that our federal budget must be built on priorities that will grow our middle class. The budget plan outlined by President Barack Obama embraces these priorities by focusing on economic recovery, strategic longterm investments, and fiscal responsibility.

The final version of the budget, approved by the House of Representatives on April 29, 2009, puts in place a solid foundation for the future of our economy by investing in health care reform, education, and energy independence measures. I'm especially proud that this budget honors America's veterans by providing a long overdue budget increase of 12% for health care and services for our servicemen and women.

This budget also puts our country back on a fiscally sustainable path once the economy recovers -- a commitment underscored at the President's recent fiscal responsibility summit held in February 2009.  The budget proposes to cut the reckless and unsustainable Bush deficit by nearly two thirds by 2013 and will restore statutory Pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules, which were critical to producing budget surpluses in the 1990s. 

By making essential investments and restoring fiscal discipline, President Obama’s budget is a blueprint for the change we need. Click here to read a more comprehensive outline of the budget recently passed by Congress.

To read about the funding requests for projects in South Florida made by Congressman Wexler, visit the appropriations page.