Today, the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform met for the fifth time. The stated purpose of this meeting was to hear from budget experts on ways to cut spending. However, the Commission has failed to initiate any efforts to decrease the unsustainable size of government since it began meeting six months ago. Instead, the Commission continues to hold vacuous meetings to hide its actual intent—to raises taxes to fuel government growth.
The Commission has allowed Congress and the President to punt on the unsustainable fiscal environment they have created with explosive spending. Without passing a budget or any appropriations bills for the coming fiscal year, Congress hopes to adjourn today and leave the Commission to run out the clock before the November elections. The Commission is not expected to propose any reforms until December, providing the perfect cover for the largest tax hike in history that is slated to take effect January 1.
“Like its Commander-in-Chief, the President’s Fiscal Commission isn’t listening,” said Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist. “I gave the Commission fourteen different ways to cut spending back in June. They have failed to act on any of these suggestions, despite the fact that many of these solutions were simple, commonsense steps to cutting inefficiencies and waste. Talking about cutting spending, as the President as done for the past two years, and actually doing it, are two very different things. Taxpayers are sick of only seeing the former.”
Norquist continued: “Holding another meeting without initiating any practical solutions shows the Commission is serious about one thing and one thing only – providing political cover for this President and Congress who want to raise taxes on families and small employers.”