The Hill News

The impact of H.R. 1 [FY 2011 continuing resolution] on the ability of the federal government to perform even some of its most basic functions is, in many instances, severe. The Constitution requires of the government that it ‘…establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity...’. The House Republican proposal would undermine our ability to live up to these ideals, and do little to address the long-term fiscal challenges facing our nation.

There is no doubt that we must find a way to reduce our deficit and put America back on the path to a balanced budget. Part of the solution will be to eliminate programs that are no longer necessary, and to improve the efficiency of those that are. But many of the reductions proposed by the House were made not because programs were ineffective or wasteful, but out of desire to meet an arbitrary do! llar figure cited during a political campaign. Many of the recommendations in this bill resulted from a ‘meat cleaver’ approach to budget cuts, when we should be using a scalpel â€" responsibly identifying specific programs that are wasteful or unneeded.

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