Senate Refuses to Hustle on Nussle Confirmation
Full Senate vote prevented by petty rhetoric, misleading statements
Washington, D.C. – As members of Congress returned to their states for the August recess, Americans for Tax Reform denounced the U.S. senators who rejected a swift confirmation of former congressman Jim Nussle to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Nussle’s confirmation was approved by the Senate Budget Committee by a vote of 22-1, but was blocked from a full Senate vote by the objections of Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont.
Sen. Sanders told the Burlington Free Press his reasoning for holding up the confirmation; “You need somebody at your side who is going to tell you the reality facing workers and the middle class rather than maintain this mythology about how great the economy is doing.” However, since August of 2003, the U.S. has gained 8.3 million jobs, a continuous gain for the last employment swell for nearly four years. Also, strong gross domestic product (GDP) growth and tax receipts rising as a percent of GDP are indicative of the success of the 2003 tax cuts.
“If Sen. Sanders is worried that Jim Nussle will work against the Democrats’ tax and spending explosions, I invite him to take a look at the results of the 2003 tax cuts,” said taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “The reality facing American workers is more jobs added than all other major industrialized countries combined and continued economic growth. To claim that workers would benefit more from taxes on their pension plans and energy than they have from lower taxes is to ignore the unprecedented economic growth that the U.S. has experienced since the tax cuts passed.”
Former chairman of the House Budget Committee, Jim Nussle’s budget expertise is widely supported by members of both parties. His leadership on the key House committee led to entitlement spending reform that saved taxpayers $40 billion over five years.
“American taxpayers are under attack by Democrats in Congress right now. With tax increases on everything from 401 (k) plans to cigarettes on the table, taxpayers need a strong advocate in the budget process,” continued Norquist. “There is no question that Nussle is the right man for the job. I strongly urge the Senate to set Nussle’s confirmation as a high priority when they return in September.”