Rep. Hoekstra: ‘It’s the Spending’
Washington’s budgetary decisions — or lack thereof — are unacceptable. While Washington has no problem figuring out new ways to collect revenues, it does have a spending problem, one that is perpetuated by Michigan Senator Debbie “Spend-It-Now.”
Washington Democrats, like Debbie Stabenow, have long forgotten Benjamin Franklin’s adage “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Under current projections, spending will increase from roughly 23 percent of the GDP in 2012 to over 35 percent in 2035. Further, annual deficits will grow to over 15 percent of the GDP in the next 20 years, and publicly held debt could expand to over 185 percent of the GDP.
This doesn’t even include the unfunded mandates in Social Security, Medicare, and federal employee retirement. This is a dangerous place for America’s economy to be.
Foreign countries already own more U.S. debt than ever before. In fact, China — the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt — owns $1.1 trillion alone. Beyond the economic concerns this arrangement raises, China’s possession of our debt poses a dangerous threat to our national security, fracturing the soft-power leverage that is necessary to keep our country safe.
Debbie Stabenow’s record is filled with years of reckless spending and job-killing policies that increase our national debt and our reliance on China. For instance, in 2009 she voted for Obama’s $2.5 trillion health care bill, a job killer.
While American employment suffered because of Stabenow’s deciding vote on health care reform, China’s job market prospered. Peter Ferrara writes in the American Spectator that ObamaCare will pay for new, life-saving treatments and technologies that will be developed overseas in countries like China.
Debbie Spend-It-Now also voted for the $1 trillion stimulus package, which I opposed. Stabenow again claimed this bill was “all about creating jobs.” However, according to the Columbus Dispatch:
Federal stimulus money awarded to support American wind-energy projects is going to the foreign manufacturers of turbines…. [T]he grants stimulated more than 6,800 manufacturing jobs outside the U.S.
Moreover, the Department of Energy acknowledged that up to 80 percent of some green energy programs went to foreign countries, including China.
To augment the problem, Debbie Spend-It-Now and Senate Democrats have failed to pass a budget in over 1,000 days. They have punted on their basic responsibility, putting our children’s future at risk and surrendering our nation’s future to those who don’t have America’s best interests in mind.
Tough decisions need to be made to protect our economy and our security. The time for action is now. The 2012 elections will be a choice between “Spend-It-Now” or “Spend It Not.”
Good luck.
How would you address the issue of spending that was mandated by previous Congresses?
Spend it not approach eh? Ok you voted for TARP, tax cuts for the wealthy, two unfunded wars, extending unemployment when Bush was in office and voting no when Obama is in office, cash for clunkers, voted against negotiating lower drug prices for seniors, voted for the Medicare part D without funding it and you are talking about not spending money. Rotflmao Who are you kidding. Your votes have added more to the deficit than your opponents by far.
So when did you get religion?
Try to stick to the facts. The Iran and Afgan wars were funded and voted for by the majority of Democrats and “tax cuts for the wealthy” is simply class-warfare crap. That aside, here is Pete’s record…(from Campaign for Liberty)
Voted for Tarp; Voted for the Brady Handgun Bill; In 2007, Hoekstra joined Sen. Debbie Stabenow and then Sen. Barack Obama in cosponsoring legislation that by federal mandate would have forced every state, county, city, township, and village in America of at least 5,000 in population to unionize its firefighters, police officers, and paramedics. In 2009, Hoekstra said on public television’s Off the Record with Tim Skubick: “I think it would be a bad idea to put (Right to Work) on the ballot. I don’t know if it would pass or not. I’d probably not vote for it.”
During the 2010 race for governor, the Center for Michigan reported that Hoekstra was the only Republican candidate who — in response to the candidate survey question, “Should Michigan become a Right-to-Work state?” — joined Democrats Virg Bernero and Andy Dillon in answering “no.” Dome magazine in Lansing reported of Hoekstra: “The Hollander refused to sign a no-tax pledge and declared he wouldn’t vote for a ballot initiative on Right to Work, seen as the holy grail by business groups, a powerful Republican constituency.”
Pete Hoekstra is a RINO who, thankfully, was defeated in his bid for governor by the conservative and very positively effective Rick Snyder. Debbie Stabenow is a “Flaming Liberal” dope who once stated in a letter to me that “global warming is settled science” and went on to state that green jobs are the road to economic recovery for Michigan. Which part of that nonsense do you believe? As a “Flaming Liberal” I assume that you are irked that Pete, a Republican, joined Debbie in voting for disasterous liberal initiatives which you consider to be Democrat turf or some such convoluted liberal thinking. Liberalism is a failure. Making everyone know that you are one only makes you appear silly.
Stay strong, Yooper. Michigan’s lousy economy forced my family out, but I still hope for the best for my former home state.
Hang in there, but try to remember that Liberalism and Conservatism are two theories of government that are moderate and well-suited to our country. The Democratic Party at the national level has abandoned Liberalism in favor of socialism, which is why they threw Joe Lieberman out of the party, and selected Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton.
Liberals respect Conservatives, agree that Conservatives have positive strategies to deal with out nation’s problems, and will vote for a Conservative with good ideas.
Think it over. You will want the help of Liberals in the very near future, and they are amenable to your arguments.
No thanks.
We need a restoration to our Founding and our Constitution, liberals DO NOT believe in either.
You want facts? The Iraq and Afghan wars were when Bush was in office and Republican were in control of both the Senate and the house. Saying the funding for them were by a majority of Democratic members is not true. The overwhelming support came from the Republicans. As for your statement that the tax cuts for the wealthy is class warfare – yes and it has been on the middle class for the past 30 years and they were MIA. Thankfully the Republicans have put up the perfect pinata in Romney who will be reminding us every time he opens his mouth what class warfare is all about – carried interest, 13.9% tax rate, probably no taxes paid in 2009 and 2008, foreign bank accounts and tax havens, supporting the Ryan budget, and having his own tax plan that gives him an extra $160K for every million and increases taxes on the very poor.
Right it is class warfare and the middle class is now engaged so bring it on
if you dont own a desk @ the Whitehouse
flamin liberal
Yes, the west wing comes to life…
dear god! i preferred the TV show
You sound like Pee Wee Herman….”I know you are but what am I”…admit you are a socialist and be done with it.
Well, I don’t know this guy but I sure wish the id10ts we have running for president would at least start sounding like him.
The problem with scrapping Obamacare — a move I’d support in a heartbeat — is that it’s a fix for problems caused by another unconstitutional overreach: EMTALA. There wouldn’t be a “free-rider” problem if EMTALA didn’t mandate treatment to free-riders.
Unfortunately, our government seems incapable of looking at its own handywork and reversing it (CRA and the subprime crisis comes to mind), but tends to layer on additional flawed policies over and over again.
…So why is this site running political ads for Stabenow the scumbag right on this very page that is posting this article? Money trumps all, even here.
Anyway, regardless of how Hoekstra sounds now, he was known for being your typical Michigan Republican squishy moderate, like so many other chump Michigan Republicans before him, including Mutt Romney and his old man. He has a tough row to hoe to beat scumbag Debbie in a sickeningly lefty state like Michigan.
Stop sugar-coating things, black elk, and tell us how you really feel.
Spend, spend, spend, collapse, Change.
I agree with the headline and it would be nice to see Jim Demint get a chair or two. Hey I sent money to Christine O’Donnel. I still get e-mails from her now and then. BTW I am not a witch.
I helped hire Hoekstra way back in the day, as I lived in his district. Now he’s become an establishment liberal–er, RINO, and I’m nauseated. I’m glad I don’t live in Michigan anymore. Frankly, he’s not all that much better than Stabenow. At least she’s honest about her wealth-spreading.
Will the last one out of Michigan, please turn off the lights?