Calls Administration’s response to spill “pathetic”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator George LeMieux (FL) appeared before The Ripon Society this morning, giving a speech that was centered around two different but important topics – the growth of government and the oil spill in the Gulf.
“I came here in September of 2009,” LeMieux stated, referring to the month he took office. “Our national debt was $12 trillion. Today, it is $13 trillion. It took 200 years for this country to amass its first trillion dollars in debt. We did another trillion dollars in nine months.
“The size of the federal government has doubled since 1999. The average federal government employee makes $70,000 a year, not including pension. The average private sector employee makes $50,000. One hundred thousand new federal employees [have been hired] since President Obama was elected. At the rate that we’re going, by 2020 we’ll have a $22 trillion national debt. Right now, we spend $200 billion a year on debt service alone — $200 billion to pay for things we couldn’t afford before.”
LeMieux said that this level of spending and government growth was unsustainable. To that end, he also stated that he had introduced legislation that would help bring both problems under control. Called under control. Called The 2007 Solution, LeMieux’s proposal would take the country back to 2007 spending levels, and then cap federal expenditures at that level for the next decade. 2007 was the last year of the economic boom he noted. He further noted that revenue was $2.5 trillion for the year. Under this plan, the budget would be balanced in 13 years, and the national debt would be cut in half by 2020.
LeMieux acknowledged that tackling these problems would not be easy, but expressed optimism that the country can come together to make the difficult decisions that will be required. “It’s not that hard to do if we have the courage of our convictions,” LeMieux said. “It’s not just a Democratic issue. It’s not just a Republican issue. It’s a moral issue. If we don’t put the country on the right fiscal path, we will have done a tremendous disservice to our kids and grandkids.”
In addition to discussing the growth of government and level of spending, LeMieux also discussed another problem that, he said, is not being adequately addressed – the oil spill in the Gulf.
“I think the Administration has done a pathetic job of responding to the spill,” he said. “They were caught flat-footed. The President seems less than concerned. And I’ve asked for him to spend a heck-of-a-lot more time in the Gulf of Mexico.”
“We as Floridians know how to deal with disasters because we have had so many hurricanes run through our state. When Jeb Bush was Governor, he was on the ground 12, 14 hours a day, week after week after week… He was the kind of leader who inspired confidence. When people came to him and said, ‘No, we can’t get that done,’ he would push and make them get it done. We need to see that out of the President. He can’t stay up here and get briefings in the Cabinet Room and expect that he’s going to push people.”
“We’ve seen the lack of an emotive gene in this president. And I want to see him down there on the Gulf leading. He’s a bright guy. And when the President of the United States gets down there and pushes to get something done, obstacles will be overcome.” Referring to the latest attempt to cap the oil spill, LeMieux concluded: “Hopefully, we’re going to find out this solution has worked. But I think that for a President who criticized President Bush during Katrina saying he was half-hearted and did half measures, I think that indictment rings pretty true for this Administration in this disaster.”
To view LeMieux’s complete remarks, please click on the links below:
Part 1:
(growth of government)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T06VYaDlk9Q
Part 2:
(growth of government cont’d. & oil spill)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QH6LHQOVZA
The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 — Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of the Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s past success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people. ernment that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.