Senator McCaskill is standing up to her fellow Democrats to dispute spending. She looks to the administration of the 90s when the U.S. was operating on a surplus, not a deficit.
McCaskill says the ominibus appropriations bill will not get her vote status quo, and she’s written a letter to Senate Majority leader and fellow Democrat Harry Reid telling him so. McCaskill’s proposing a 3-year cap on all discretionary spending, except military and emergencies, and says it worked when President Clinton was in office.
She says a similar spending policy worked in the 90s when America was operating at a surplus, not a deficit. Along with spending caps, she says there were slightly higher taxes and Pay Go, meaning new programs had to be funded before they could be implemented.
“And we were operating at a surplus, not a deficit,” she says.
Emergency situations that would not be subject to the cap include floods, drought or terrorist attacks.
McCaskill has partnered with Republican Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to put forth the amendment. And she says she thinks she’s got the votes in the U.S. Senate to pass it.
She says she thinks the Senate will try to get the votes without her, but that the spending bill lacks transparency and is loaded with pet projects and earmarks that don’t convey financial responsibility to the American public. McCaskill points to unanimous support from the Republicans, and thinks she’s got the 60 votes needed.
Jessica Machetta reports [Mp3, 1:17 min.]
Read McCaskill’s letter to Reid here.
