Hoyer: Dems will work with GOP on reducing deficit

Republicans picked up more than 60 House seats in November’s
midterm elections, largely running on campaign promises of reining in deficit
spending, which has skyrocketed above $1 trillion annually as the government
reacted to the recent recession.

Democratic leaders are already blasting the Republicans’
proposed rules package — set for a vote as early as Wednesday — as evidence
that GOP leaders are already backtracking on those vows. The proposed rules
would require lawmakers to pay for federal spending increases, but not tax
cuts, healthcare repeal, or several other big-dollar items.

Hoyer said the rules package “will explode deficits.”

“It is ironic that a group that says it wants to be a new
Republican Party appears to be the same old Republican Party that said you
could buy things without paying for them,” Hoyer said. “You don’t have to be
more than a third grader to get that math: If you buy stuff and don’t pay for
stuff, you owe more.”

Even some Republicans have grown critical of the proposed
rules. Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Tom Graves (Ga.) and
Scott Garrett (N.J.) offered an amendment to the package on Tuesday. They say
their proposal would make spending cuts in the next Congress “more bullet
proof.”

“House Republicans, in particular members of the
newly-elected Freshman class, need Americans to know that when we vote to cut
spending, spending really will be cut with no Washington-style gimmicks,”
Jordan said in a statement.