(Washington, D.C.) – Yesterday evening the Senate passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, the misguided package that scraps the “sequester” spending caps over the next two years in favor of back-loading meager deficit reduction through fee increases and mere promises of spending cuts. National Taxpayers Union (NTU) criticized the final move in this ill-fated budget game for America’s taxpayers, but urged vigilance as key future budget dates loom next year.
“With the Senate’s vote, taxpayers are only assured of one thing: that government will spend more of their money over the next two years, no longer restrained by the reasonable budget caps passed in 2011.
“All citizens weary of ‘spend now, worry about it later’ budgeting have nothing to applaud in the Ryan-Murray Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. Rather, the only effective spending relief we’ve seen during the Obama presidency has now been undone. Making matters more difficult for taxpayers, it will take a full nine years before the bill actually reduces the deficit.
“Lawmakers can promise that these future spending cuts will come to pass, but having just turned their backs on laws passed only two years ago, they will rightfully earn the skepticism of taxpayers. Meanwhile, many will be paying more out of their pockets, including travelers, thanks to the ‘revenue raisers’ in the bill.
“Washington has kicked the proverbial can down the road so many times now, they’ll have to travel halfway around the world to give it the next boot.
“Thousands of NTU members went to KeeptheCaps.com to tell Congress to protect the budget caps. Although Congress ignored the wishes of Americans at the grassroots this time, National Taxpayers Union will continue to lead the fight for responsible federal budgeting. We will not be silenced.”