Sen. Mike Enzi touted his background as an accountant in pressing the case for the Senate Republican budget he introduced this week.
“Before coming to Congress, I ran a small business in Wyoming for many years, I served as a mayor of my hometown, then as a state legislator. And in those roles, one of the most important jobs I had was to ensure my budgets were balanced every year,” the Wyoming Republican said in the party’s weekly address released Saturday. “It is time to begin this responsible accounting in Washington, because while you can lie about the numbers, the numbers never lie.”
Last week, Enzi’s energy committee released a budget that would balance in 10 years and reduce the federal debt without raising taxes.
The plan would involve deep reductions in spending on government health care and welfare programs by giving state governments more control over the programs but dedicating fewer federal funds to them.
The budget was approved at the committee level Thursday, over the objections of Democrats who were opposed to its cuts on low-income programs and to an amendment that would increase spending for a war account. President Obama and members of Democrats criticized Republicans both for cutting government assistance to low-income people and for including accounting they described as gimmicky.
Enzi on Saturday made the case for the budget as it heads to the Senate floor.
“A balanced budget means real accountability in Washington and ensures that programs actually accomplish what they set out to deliver,” he said.
Enzi took aim at the high level of U.S. debt, which has roughly doubled since before the financial crisis.
“Today America’s debt totals more than $18 trillion,” he said. “In fact, every man, woman and child now owes more than $56,000 on that debt, and that number is expected to grow to more than $75,000 over the next decade, unless we make important changes.”
“Every dollar spent on interest and our debt is another dollar we won’t be able to use for government services for individuals in need, or another dollar that won’t be available for taxpayers for their own needs.
“Washington must live within its means,” Enzi added.
