ATR President Grover Norquist today released a letter of support for the recently released U.S. Senate Budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2016. This budget balances the budget by promoting fiscally responsible solutions that reins in the bloated federal deficit. In particular, this proposal repeals Obamacare and its numerous job killing regulations, reforms the healthcare system, and protects seniors through strengthening Medicare and Medicaid.
Perhaps most importantly, this budget proposal also maintains the spending restrictions mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011, which will lead to $1.79 trillion in savings through 2021.
See the full letter below:
Dear Chairmen Enzi,
On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform, I write in strong support of the U.S. Senate budget proposal. The budget blueprint authored by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) will ensure that Washington lives within its means by balancing the budget in less than ten years and cutting $5.1 trillion in federal spending over a ten-year period.
The budget proposal calls for reforms to struggling entitlement programs, clamps down on inefficient and ineffective government programs, and lays the groundwork for strong economic growth. The plan also empowers the states to make their own decisions by applying federalist principles.
Notably, the Senate budget repeals Obamacare in its entirety and reforms the health care system to increase access to affordable care while providing patients with better medical choices. Repealing Obamacare would eliminate numerous job killing regulations including the employer mandate and the individual mandate. In place of this complex system, the Senate budget prioritizes a patient-centered approach that gives power back to the individual.
In order to protect our seniors, the Senate budget ensures the solvency of the Medicare trust fund by five years. It applies the savings dictated by law to the program as it repeals the harmful Independent Payment Advisory Board. Moreover it keeps to the savings goals proposed by the president but maintains ultimate financial decision-making agency with congressional committees working with beneficiaries.
Finally, the budget implements improvements to Medicaid. Specifically, it repeals the Obamacare Medicaid expansion and instead expands the Children’s Health Insurance Program to protect our most precious charges.
The Senate Budget maintains the spending restrictions mandated in the Budget Control Act of 2011, ensuring the continuation of the savings from discretionary spending. In contrast to the White House budget, which ignores 2011 spending caps and raises spending through misleading promises, the Senate budget abides by federal law.
It is important to keeps the caps in place that have stabilized federal spending since 2011 and will lead to $1.79 trillion in savings through 2021. You should be congratulated for proposing a more fiscally responsible solution despite the urging of some of his more reckless colleagues to break spending caps and undo years of fiscal restraint.
We urge the Senate to support this bold pro-growth proposal. It returns power to states and localities while making great, positive strides in the tax code.
Sincerely,
Grover G. Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform