In the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) says that the nation’s “spending problem is getting worse, not better” and calls for cutting spending and reforming our tax code to boost our economy.  Rep. Camp is chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee.  Here are some highlights from early coverage of his address, which you can now read, listen to, watch, and download: 

“REPUBLICANS CALL FOR SPENDING CUTS, TAX REFORM”: “Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) called for spending cuts and entitlement reform in the GOP weekly address on Saturday.  Camp, who chairs the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, said Democrats have not been willing to put real spending cuts on the table in deficit-reduction negotiations…  ‘That position is irresponsible and fails to acknowledge what every family in America already knows – when you have no more money in your account and your credit cards are maxed out, then the spending must stop,’ Camp said.”  (The Hill, 1/5/13)

“GROWING THE ECONOMY AND CUTTING SPENDING”: “As the House returns for the 113th Congress, Rep. Dave Camp says its 2013 resolution is clear: to grow our economy, getting government spending under control and making Washington more accountable to Americans.  Camp … that the real reason we're in a ‘fiscal mess’ is because ‘Washington takes too much of your money and then wastes it … We have to make sure Washington is accountable for every tax dollar it spends.’  … According to Camp, that would mean spending cuts, simplifying the tax code and strengthening programs like Social Security and Medicare.  … Now that Washington has averted the ‘fiscal cliff,’ a new dilemma faces lawmakers, who must turn … attention to the debt ceiling. Now, Camp says, ‘we must identify responsible ways to tackle Washington's wasteful spending.’” (ABC News Radio, 1/5/13)

“CRUSHING TODAY’S SMALL BUSINESSES … UNDER A MOUNTAIN OF DEBT”: “In a Republican response, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan said politicians must identify responsible ways to tackle Washington's spending.  ‘We're crushing today's small businesses and the next generation of Americans under a mountain of debt,’ Camp said. … Camp accused the president and Democrats in Congress of refusing to take ‘any meaningful steps to make Washington live within its means’ and urged them to reconsider their position and join the fight on what he called ‘wasteful spending.’” (AFP, 1/5/13)

“‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ TO THOSE WHO WOULD TAX AND SPEND EVEN MORE”: “In the weekly Republican address, Rep. Dave Camp, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, faulted Obama andcongressional Democrats for not working hard enough to incorporate meaningful spending cuts in the fiscal cliff deal.  While Democrats argue the debt ceiling must be raised so the government can borrow money to pay its bills,Republicans argue that continually increasing the debt limit is no way to solve the country's spending problem.  Meanwhile, Camp said in the GOP address that it was time to ‘to stand up and say 'enough is enough' to those who would tax and spend even more’ and called on Obama to join Republicans in their efforts to ‘fight wasteful Washington.’” (CNN, 1/5/13)

“IDENTIFY RESPONSIBLE WAYS TO TACKLE WASHINGTON’S WASTEFUL SPENDING”: "Representative Dave Camp, delivering his party’s weekly address, warned, at least indirectly, that they would expect spending cuts in return for raising the ceiling again.  ‘Many of our Democrat colleagues just don’t seem to get it. Throughout the fiscal cliff discussions, the president and the Democrats who control Washington repeatedly refused to take any meaningful steps to make Washington live within its means,’ Camp said.  ‘As we turn our attention toward future discussions on the debt limit and the budget, we must identify responsible ways to tackle Washington’s wasteful spending.’” (Reuters, 1/5/13)

“DISCUSSED REFORMING THE TAX CODE”: “In the GOP's weekly address, Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan credited Republicans' hardwork for preventing tax increases.  But he said it is time to find ways to tackle Washington's wasteful spending.  Camp said the debt is crushingsmall businesses and future generations, and ‘selling the country's financial independence to China.’ … Camp also discussed reforming the tax code, saying when about 60 percent of taxpayers need to hire professional help to do their taxes, ‘there is something fundamentally wrong.’” (NY1, 1/5/13)  

“THE SPENDING MUST STOP”: “In the Republican address, Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan said that as attention againturns to the debt limit, ‘we must identify responsible ways to tackleWashington’s wasteful spending.’  Americans know that ‘when you have no more money in your account and your credit cards are maxed out, then the spending must stop,’ Camp said.” (AP, 1/5/13)