Mullin Addresses Sequestration with Constituents
March 1 2013
Today marks the beginning of the across-the-board spending cuts called the sequester. It is unfortunate that in Washington, nobody can agree to make the spending cuts needed to replace these automatic cuts.
Oklahomans have seen through the ratcheted-up political rhetoric coming from both the White House and Congress. They are ready for the dysfunction to stop and for this country to get back on stable fiscal footing by making common-sense cuts to federal spending that do not threaten public safety, national defense or the economy.
The higher taxes President Obama is campaigning for will not help our businesses, families or the economy. However, spending cuts and staying the course to a balanced budget will help Oklahoma taxpayers who have already been hit by spiking gas prices and an increase in the payroll tax.
There is plenty of waste to be trimmed from the federal budget. The free cellular phone program that has angered a number of callers to our congressional offices will cost $2.2 billion in 2013 alone, not to mention the money we have already spent on the program that our federal government has no business funding in the first place.
The 2.4 percent sequester cut to federal spending translates to about $85 billion this year. In 2011, the federal government made $115 billion in improper payments to people who were not entitled to receive those payments or who had not provided proper documentation to qualify for the payments.
Clearly federal spending is out of control and it is not difficult to find more savings for taxpayers, but that will require strong leaders who are willing to look past their next election, putting Party aside and putting Country first.
Thank you,
Markwayne Mullin
Member of Congress