Washington, D.C. – Representative Heath Shuler voted with a majority of House
members Wednesday to pass pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules that force fiscal discipline
on the federal government that continues to run large budget deficits.
PAYGO requires that all new federal spending must be offset by either making budget
cuts elsewhere or raising new revenues. This policy has been a top priority for the House
Blue Dogs, a group of fiscally conservative Democrats that Shuler helps lead.
“Congress has not passed a balanced budget since the late 1990s and continues to pile
government debt on the backs of our children,” said Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville.
“Today marks a big step towards stopping this out-of-control government spending.”
PAYGO, which was ignored in recent years, was an effective budget enforcement tool
used in the early 1990’s that led to Congress balancing its budgets. Re-instituting
PAYGO has been a top priority of the Blue Dogs, Rep. Shuler said, and the Senate now
needs to pass this legislation quickly to rein in further government overspending.
“Congress has ducked having to make a lot of tough decisions, but it’s now time to pay
the piper,” Shuler said. “Wasteful government spending has become the status quo in
Washington throughout the previous administration. American families must live within
their means, and it’s long past time for the federal government to do the same.”
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Download: Rep. Shuler and Blue Dogs Pass PAYGO rules to curb government spending
