GOP to America: The Democrats Spend, Tax, and Borrow Too Much

By Ed Lasky

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Congressman Mike Pence hosted a conference call with a group of bloggers Wednesday afternoon. The message: Republicans believe that the Democrats are Spending Too Much, Taxing Too Much and Borrowing Too Much. No surprise there.

Congressman Pence (R-Indiana)focused on the dire effects the Democrats plans will have on America. We will have the largest tax increase in history and our national debt will balloon, saddling us and future generations with massive debt payments. We will double our debt in the next five years and triple it in the next ten years.

What is often ignored is a "tax" that will be imposed on all Americans as the Democrats push a cap and trade program onto America. Congressman Pence noted a study from MIT estimating that the cap and trade program will increase energy costs to such a great extent that the average household will , in effect, be charged a tax of over $3000 a year.

Congressman Rodgers (R-Wa) gave us insight from her home state about the real world effect the Democratic plan will have on people in her state-suppressing businesses-the growth engine of the economy.

This is part of an outreach plan meant to keep Americans informed about the consequences of the Democrat's plans.

Some further insight from the other side of the Capitol, via David Herszenhorn of the NYT's Caucus blog:

Senate Republicans find the budget has three fatal flaws," the Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said. "No. 1, it spends too much. No. 2, it taxes too much. And No. 3, it borrows too much."

Mr. McConnell, elaborated just a bit. "So over the next three weeks, we'll be talking about, first, the fact that it spends too much: it's estimated that they could be hiring up to a quarter of a million new federal employees. Second, that it taxes too much - and, as you know, it's going to include energy taxes as well as increases in tax rates. And number three, of course, the borrowing is astonishing. So with that, let me turn it over to our leader on the budget committee, who will further elaborate on our problems with this particular budget proposal.

Mr. Gregg, who was nominated by Mr. Obama to be the Secretary of Commerce, only to withdraw after deciding that he just had too many policy disagreements with the president, is likely to be a main Republican spokesman on the issue.

And he offered a preview of the party's arguments against Mr. Obama's budget.

"Just to put a few numbers on the table so you understand the enormity of it - this is a massive movement of the government to the left," Mr. Gregg declared. "In five years, it will double the public debt of the federal government. That means that in five years, this administration is proposing running up more debt than has been run up in all the time since the beginning of the Republic, including George Bush - all the presidents since the beginning of the Republic.

"In 10 years, it triples the public debt, passing on to our children a country which is simply not affordable relative to the debt. It creates a massive tax increase - $1.4 trillion - with a huge new sales tax on people's electricity bills, which is pretty darn expensive.

"And what does it do with that revenue? Doesn't use it to try to bring down the debt; doesn't use it to try to bring down the deficit. It grows the government by about the same amount. And both numbers, quite honestly, are underestimated."

The congressmen on the call rejected the depiction of the GOP as being the party of "No". They object to the budget and "stimulus" plans concocted by the Democrats. They will be rolling out in the coming weeks, their own plans to stimulate the economy. Theirs will be a program emphasizing fiscal restraint and pro-growth tax cuts. Their plan will help protect and restore economic security for all Americans.