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Graves One of 103 Reps. To Call On House GOP Leadership To Support ‘Cut, Cap, and Balance’ Solution To Debt Crisis


Washington, D.C., Jun 6 -

U.S. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-09) was one of 103 Representatives to sign a Republican Study Committee (RSC) letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor calling for a three-pronged approach—called “Cut, Cap, and Balance”—to resolve the debt crisis.  Rep. Graves issued the following statement on the letter:

 

“With nearly 14 million Americans looking for work today, it’s time for America to take a new direction to strengthen the economy, bring stability to the marketplace, and get people back to work.  With the Obama Administration clinging to failed policies, Congress must be proactive, and I believe enacting the Republican Study Committee’s ‘Cut, Cap, and Balance’ proposal would be the strongest possible signal both at home and abroad that America is back in business.  As our Republican leaders engage in debt limit negotiations with the White House and Senate Democrats, we call on them to use this plan.

 

“The immediate spending cuts will help preserve our AAA credit rating and improve our credit outlook.  The spending caps put government in a box, so while legislators may choose what programs to fund, they will be constrained and unable to overspend.  Finally, sending the Balanced Budget Amendment to the States, should they approve it, would ensure that our country will never again wear the stain of the kind of fiscal recklessness that put our citizens $14 trillion in debt.”

 

The letter outlined the RSC’s “Cut, Cap and Balance” proposal:

 

  1. Immediate spending cuts to slash the deficit in half next year.  According to March projections from the Congressional Budget Office, this would require spending cuts of approximately $380 billion in the 2012 fiscal year.
  2. Statutory, enforceable spending caps to reduce total federal spending to 18% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is in line with the historical average of revenue as a percentage of GDP.

 

  1. House and Senate passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution with protections against tax increases.

 

The full text of the letter is available here.

 

Letter Signers:

 

1.       Rep. Todd Akin

36.     Rep. Tom Graves

71.     Rep. Randy Neugebauer

2.       Rep. Justin Amash

37.     Rep. Tim Griffin

72.     Rep. Kristi Noem

3.       Rep. Roscoe Bartlett

38.     Rep. Paul Gosar

73.     Rep. Alan Nunnelee

4.       Rep. Joe Barton

39.     Rep. Frank Guinta

74.     Rep. Pete Olson

5.       Rep. Dan Benishek

40.     Rep. Ralph Hall

75.     Rep. Stephen Palazzo

6.       Rep. Rob Bishop

41.     Rep. Andy Harris

76.     Rep. Steve Pearce

7.       Rep. Marsha Blackburn

42.     Rep. Vicki Hartzler

77.     Rep. Mike Pence

8.       Rep. Kevin Brady

43.     Rep. Nan Hayworth

78.     Rep. Joe Pitts

9.       Rep. Paul Broun

44.     Rep. Tim Huelskamp

79.     Rep. Ted Poe

10.     Rep. Larry Bucshon

45.     Rep. Bill Huizenga

80.     Rep. Mike Pompeo

11.     Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle

46.     Rep. Randy Hultgren

81.     Rep. Ben Quayle

12.     Rep. Dan Burton

47.     Rep. Bill Johnson

82.     Rep. Tom Reed

13.     Rep. John Campbell

48.     Rep. Sam Johnson

83.     Rep. Reid Ribble

14.     Rep. Steve Chabot

49.     Rep. Jim Jordan

84.     Rep. Scott Rigell

15.     Rep. Jason Chaffetz

50.     Rep. Mike Kelly

85.     Rep. Phil Roe

16.     Rep. Howard Coble

51.     Rep. Jack Kingston

86.     Rep. Todd Rokita

17.     Rep. Mike Coffman

52.     Rep. John Kline

87.     Rep. Dennis Ross

18.     Rep. Chip Cravaack

53.     Rep. Raul Labrador

88.     Rep. Ed Royce

19.     Rep. Rick Crawford

54.     Rep. Doug Lamborn

89.     Rep. Steve Scalise

20.     Rep. John Culberson

55.     Rep. Jeff Landry

90.     Rep. Robert Schilling

21.     Rep. Scott Desjarlais

56.     Rep. James Lankford

91.     Rep. Jean Schmidt

22.     Rep. Jeff Duncan

57.     Rep. Bob Latta

92.     Rep. Dave Schweikert

23.     Rep. Stephen Fincher

58.     Rep. Billy Long

93.     Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner

24.     Rep. Jeff Flake

59.     Rep. Cynthia Lummis

94.     Rep. Steve Southerland

25.     Rep. Chuck Fleischmann

60.     Rep. Connie Mack

95.     Rep. Cliff Stearns

26.     Rep. Jeff Fleming

61.     Rep. Don Manzullo

96.     Rep. Steve Stivers

27.     Rep. Bill Flores

62.     Rep. Tom Marino

97.     Rep. Marlin Stutzman

28.     Rep. Randy Forbes

63.     Rep. Mike McCaul

98.     Rep. Scott Tipton

29.     Rep. Virginia Foxx

64.     Rep. Tom McClintock

99.     Rep. Tim Walberg

30.     Rep. Trent Franks

65.     Rep. Thad McCotter

100.  Rep. Joe Walsh

31.     Rep. Scott Garrett

66.     Rep. Patrick McHenry

101.  Rep. Allen West

32.     Rep. Bob Gibbs

67.     Rep. Gary Miller

102.  Rep. Joe Wilson

33.     Rep. Phil Gingrey

68.     Rep. Jeff Miller

103.  Rep. Kevin Yoder

34.     Rep. Trey Gowdy

69.     Rep. Mick Mulvaney

35.     Rep. Sam Graves

70.     Rep. Sue Myrick

 

Support for the Cut, Cap, and Balance plan:

Wall Street Journal: Balancing Act
RedState: Cut, Cap, and Balance
American Conservative Union: Letter of Support
American Family Business Institute: Letter of Support
Americans for Limited Government: Radical Enough
Americans for Tax Reform: House Conservatives Recommend "Cut, Cap and Balance"
Citizens United: Letter of Support
Club for Growth: Letter of Support
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste: Letter of Support
Family Research Council: A Near-Debt Experience
FreedomWorks: Letter of Support
Heritage Action: RSC Sends Letter to House Republican Leadership
Let Freedom Ring: Letter of Support
Life & Liberty PAC: Support the Republican Study Committee 
National Taxpayers Union: Letter of Support