Robert Hurt plays games with the budget

Congressman Robert Hurt (R), who represents my district, the 5th Congressional District, has been busy. You might think he would be concerned with jobs, unemployment and such, since the southern end of the district has some of the worst unemployment in the country. If you thought that, you would be wrong.

Instead, he is heavily invested in the “Cut, Cap and Balance” plan the Republicans have put forth. He voted for it in the House, despite never signing the pledge that so many other congresscritters did. Basically, the plan would impose draconian cuts everywhere in government, (except defense), and stop spending money. It also requires a balanced budget Constitutional amendment, something that seems next to impossible to do (ERA, anyone?). Not just any balanced budget amendment, but one crafted by Eric Cantor (R-VA) and John Boehner (R-OH) that will include all the provisions they would like to see in it.

These folks want to perform surgery on the budget, without anesthesia, and the results would be a disaster for everyone. The budget is complicated, and to just start ripping programs out by the roots would cause 700,000 job losses, according to one study. My opinion is that there would be lots more losses than that.

While Republicans in the House have been considering everything BUT a jobs bill, the economy is faltering and the uncertainty over the budget has put a strain on everything government related.

This doesn’t concern Robert Hurt, who said this the other day:

If we are serious about putting an end to the reckless government spending that has led to a $14 trillion debt, a $1.5 trillion deficit, and crippling economic uncertainty, we need to put in place both short and long term institutional spending reforms to change the culture in Washington and force the federal government to live within its means.

Once again delivering on the message sent by Central and Southside Virginians last November to rein in out of control government spending, the House has passed commonsense legislation that implements immediate and significant spending cuts, puts in place enforceable caps that reduce spending as a percentage of GDP, and requires the passage of a balanced budget amendment.

Washington has a spending problem. And while the Administration and Congressional Democrats continue to support the current spending status quo, the House will make the tough but necessary choices to reduce our debt and deficits, return certainty to the marketplace so that our job creators will have the confidence necessary to hire and expand, and preserve the American dream for our children and grandchildren.

The Cut, Cap and Balance bill would require a two-thirds majority for passage in the House, and that was not reached the other day. The balanced budget amendment would also require a two-thirds majority, and then be approved by the requisite number of states to take effect. Sounds like a long process, one we don’t have time for. It has no chance of passing the Senate.

While the House, Hurt included, have fiddled away the time by chasing laws on abortion and any number of other strict social reforms, the country’s finances circle the drain. It is behavior we cannot afford, and it will be interesting to see what happens next year, when Hurt will actually have to stand up in public and account for his actions and inaction. That is, if he decides to have any open to the public events.

Here’s a great letter to the editor from a while back.

Congressman Hurt: We are watching you carefully.