Snotty little "update" from Rep. Hensarling.

Emergency Spending Update

Dear Citizen,

On Thursday, March 23, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives took up an emergency spending bill for the War on Terror that included $18 billion more for hurricane recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast.
While I strongly support the funding for our troops, I did not support the budget-busting add-ons that were attached that had absolutely nothing to do with fighting terrorism. Because of that, I reluctantly voted no on this legislation. Again, I strongly support our brave troops and have personally met with them in Iraq. But an emergency supplemental bill for the war must be just that, and nothing else.

With the national debt now reaching an all-time high of $8 trillion and the federal budget growing well beyond our ability to pay for it, I believe we must work together to offset any new spending by cutting lower priority spending. We can’t pay for bridges to nowhere in Alaska while were trying to win the War on Terror.

Another reason I opposed this spending bill was due to the additional funds for hurricane relief. I have family from New Orleans and I have been to the Gulf Coast to see the tremendous destruction there firsthand. I understand the challenges they face rebuilding their communities.

But with the passage of this bill, our nation has just added another $18 billion on top of the $100 billion we have already committed to hurricane victims. American taxpayers cannot afford to keep paying for more Gucci bags, $400-a-night hotel rooms and unused mobile homes in the name of hurricane recovery.

Before we ask American taxpayers for more money, we must have a plan, we must have better accountability, we must have a well-defined federal role, and we must have sufficient reforms to ensure the money is being used wisely, where it is needed most.



Sincerely,

Jeb Hensarling
MEMBER OF CONGRESS