Printable Version Tell a friend

Bush Republicans Can't Hide their Fiscal Irresponsibility

Contact:  Chuck Oxley   (208) 871-4976 (office)  

BOISE, Idaho – State Democratic Party Chairman Richard Stallings issued the following statement in response to President Bush's threat to veto funding important to the American people while at the same time asking for a blank check for his war of choice in Iraq:

"After seven years, President Bush still hasn't figured out that he serves all the American people, not a partisan agenda. The President's threat today to veto Democratic funding bills that address the American people's priorities is not only misguided, it's hypocritical. It's President Bush who signed $3 trillion in new spending his Republican Congress gave him, and it's President Bush who wants a blank check for his failed policies in Iraq.

“President Bush doesn't understand the realities on the ground in Idaho anymore than he understands the realities on the ground in Iraq. Voting for a new direction on the war in Iraq, voting to give low income kids health care coverage, and voting to care for our brave veterans is not wasted time for Idahoans.

"We are grateful for the hard work of Democrats in Congress who continue to fight and vote for the best interests of the American people, and ask them to keep holding the Bush Administration accountable."

REPUBLICANS' GET A FAILING GRADE FOR THEIR RECORD ON SPENDING BILLS:

Republican Congress Failed to Adopt a Budget.  Last year, as in 2004, the Republican Congress failed to approve a budget resolution.  [CQ Budget Tracker]

Republican Congress Failed to Pass Almost Half of Appropriations Bills. During Bush's first six years in office, 38 appropriations bills were enacted individually while 36 were covered through omnibus spending bills, minibus spending bills or continuing resolutions. [Congressional Research Service]

President Bush Never Vetoed a Spending Bill from the Republican Congress. "Before Democrats took control of Congress from Republicans in January, Bush never vetoed any of these regular spending bills, even though they created record deficits and ran up the federal debt by about $3 trillion." [Associated Press, 7/26/07]

President Bush Signed Legislation that Exceeded His Request. In each of the past five years, President Bush signed appropriations levels that exceeded his requests. [Congressional Research Service]

President Bush Has Been Willing to Accept Higher Levels of Total Appropriations. The difference between actual appropriations and the Bush request was nearly $16 billion in FY 2002, $9.5 billion in FY03, $10.5 billion in FY04, $4.7 billion in FY05, and $53 billion in FY06 (more than twice the increase proposed in this year's congressional budget resolution).   [Congressional Research Service]

President Bush Has Signed Just 7 Appropriations Bills Before the Start of the Fiscal Year. In his six years in office, President Bush has signed just seven appropriations bills before the start of the fiscal year. [Congressional Research Service]