Owens questions if this is the change people wanted
A message from Congressman Owens
Last November, the voters sent a powerful message. They were frustrated. For two years all they saw was partisan bickering. The message I got from the last election was to stop the arguing and actually get things done. That’s why the “Lame Duck Session” that followed was so successful. While neither side was able to get everything they wanted we worked together to move the ball forward. I thought that it would serve as a precursor of things to come…It seems I might have been wrong.
The first thing the new House Majority sought to do, wasn’t to create jobs, but was repealing the Health Care Reform law. This repeal, if signed into law, would increase the deficit by $230 billion.
Then, they announced that we would begin to work on cutting spending. While still not focusing on job creation, it was at least dealing with the economy. Unfortunately, the plan put forward was an ideological slash and burn program that severely cuts federal agencies like Social Security and the Department of Education and defunded the new Health Care Law which polling shows Americans want modified not killed. Goldman Sachs released a report on February 23, 2011 saying that the C.R. as proposed would substantially hurt the economy. They even went so far as to completely defund NPR and PBS, neglecting the key role public broadcasting plays in our schools and homes in rural America.
The new Majority is overreaching. I’m willing to work with anyone in Washington to ensure that we have sound policy and that Upstate New York’s voice is heard. But in order to do that people have to be willing to seek common ground. I propose a cut across the board of 2.5-3%. This way we reach the goal of the Majority of cutting spending, while at the same time making the cuts manageable. I will continue to push this effort as I feel that it is a common sense solution to the problems we face.
Wasting a week to put out an overtly partisan budget that passed at 4:00 am this weekend with a party-line vote was nothing but an exercise in futility. Our time should have been spent seeking a compromise with the Senate.
We can and must do better.
Thank you,
Bill Owens
Member of Congress
Posted: February 25th, 2011 under Congressional News.