Act Today to Tell the Super Committee to Cut Spending

and Not Raise Our Taxes – Midnight is the Deadline

The unconstitutional Super Committee has until midnight tonight to decide how to resolve our debt crisis. President Obama, Congressional Democrats and socialist organizations like MoveOn.org are pushing for tax increases instead of spending cuts. They are demanding as much as a $1.6 trillion increase in taxes, targeting the most productive Americans, hitting entrepreneurs and small businesses particularly hard.

Ron Paul said of the Super Committee “You don’t get out of the problem of having too much debt by allowing Congress to spend a lot more. It never made any sense to me; it just digs the hole much deeper and then it gets harder for us to get out.”

Although there are two strong RLC-endorsees on the committee, Co-Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), they are under enormous pressure to cave in and authorize tax increases. Toomey has even put forward a plan which trades larger cuts than those previously proposed for some tax increases. But the real problem is that it takes only a majority vote to pass a plan out of the Super Committee, which means that only one Republican has to vote with Democrats to raise taxes.

What’s more, in addition to raising taxes, Democrats on the committee want to give more money to Obama to launch even more phony stimulus and prop up companies which ought to take responsibility for their own mistakes and not lay their risk off on the taxpayers.

This makes it vitally important for us to remind every member of the committee, especially the Republicans that taxpayers have had enough. We don’t want more debt and we don’t want more taxes. We want bigger tax cuts and we want them now, not spread out over a decade where their impact is minimized.

The Super Committee will be voting on Monday and sending their report to Congress on Wednesday. If they cannot come up with a plan which is acceptable to Congress then automatic cuts of $1.2 trillion will be implemented. It would be better for them to come to no agreement at all and submit no plan than to offer one which doesn’t have at least $1.2 trillion in cuts and no increase in taxes.

We need you to write the members of the SuperCommittee today so that when they call their offices on Monday before they vote their staff will tell them that the people want them to hold the line and make big cuts and not give in to demands for tax increases.

Write them and make sure your email insists on a minimum of $1.2 trillion in spending cuts and no increase in taxes.

Please use the form below to email your Senators and Representatives and tell them to demand that the Super Committee not raise taxes. It would also help to take a few minutes to call to each member of the Super Committee and leave a message reminding them that we can’t afford to pay more for bailouts and failed stimulus programs.

The 12 member Super Committee:
Sen. Patty Murray, (D-WA) Co-chair – Call 202-224-0238
Rep. Jeb Hensarling, (R-TX) Co-Chair – Call 202-226-4888
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) – Call 202-224-8525
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) – Call 202-224-9412
Sen. Jon Kyl, (R-AZ) – Call 202-224-2207
Sen. Rob Portman, (R-OH) – Call 202-228-1382
Sen. Pat Toomey, (R-PA) – Call 202-228-1229
Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) – Call 202-225-2202
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) – Call 202-225-2313
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, (D-MD) – Call 202-225-0375
Rep. Fred Upton, (R-MI) – Call 202-225-4986
Rep. Dave Camp, (R-MI) – Call 202-225-9177

When a virtual army of RLC endorsees including Senators Jim DeMint, Rand Paul, Pat Toomey and Mike Lee plus Congressmen like Jeff Flake and Ron Paul are all backing something you know it has to be a good idea and an important statement for smaller and more responsible government. While some congressional leaders like Sen. Mitch McConnell seem ready to sell out to the Obama administration’s demands for more taxes and spending, responsible leaders with principle are promoting the “Cap, Cut and Balance” pledge.

With the US facing an unavoidable debt crisis, we’re not going to be able to balance the budget and revitalize our economy on the backs of taxpayers or with superficial cuts in a few programs or cuts put off over long periods of time. We need real and substantial cuts now, including an end to our unnecessary wars, restructuring of entitlement programs and a program by program audit of every aspect of the federal government.

Faced with demands to raise the debt limit without implementing needed cuts, fiscal conservatives in Congress are signing the new “Cut, Cap and Balance” pledge which follows the guidelines of the Republican Study Committee and demands real and immediate cuts, enforceable spending caps, and Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.

As proposed by the Republican Study Committee, Cut, Cap, and Balance entails:

* Cut – Immediate spending cuts to reduce the deficit by half next year. According to March projections from the Congressional Budget Office, this would require spending cuts of approximately $380 billion in the 2012 fiscal year.
* Cap – Statutory, enforceable caps that bring spending into line with average revenues at 18% of GDP. Reps. Kingston and Mack have each introduced legislation that would ratchet total federal spending down to 18% of GDP over the course of 5-6 years.
* Balance – House and Senate passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that includes a spending cap at 18% of GDP and a supermajority requirement for tax increases. The House Judiciary Committee and all 47 GOP Senators have endorsed Balanced Budget Amendments along these lines.

You can show your support by signing the pledge too at www.cutcapbalancepledge.com.

And please help support our efforts to promote liberty issues and reform the Republican Party by joining the RLC today or by making a donation.

For Immediate Release: May 17th, 2011
Contact: Dave Nalle, National Chair: (512) 656-8011 or chairman@rlc.org

REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS CALLS ON CONGRESS TO HOLD THE LINE ON DEBT
Congress Should Cut Spending Now, Balance the Budget and Not Raise the Debt Ceiling

AUSTIN, TX – Ironically, on Friday the 13th, the government ran out of money.  Some numbers were juggled to buy a few months of time, but this means that this week the House of Representatives has to decide what to do about the chronic problem of spending which exceeds government income.  The easy “solution” promoted by government bureaucrats and many special interests is to raise the debt ceiling yet again, despite the fact that it already stands at $14.3 trillion. The Republican Liberty Caucus believes that the fear mongering about the debt ceiling is not justified and that we should not be bullied into taking on more debt when there are other responsible solutions that don’t merely kick the can further down the road.

Last week, the Republican Liberty Caucus board unanimously passed a resolution opposing any increase in the debt ceiling, and endorsing immediate spending reductions as a sensible solution to this crisis.  The resolution demands that Congress “shut down non-essential government programs and limit operational expenses to incoming revenue until a balanced budget can be passed.”

The resolution is accompanied by explanations of the situation for our members, and clear proposals explaining how to implement immediate spending reductions without causing a default or major crisis.  By paying debt service first and then prioritizing other spending, essential government services can be maintained.  Cutting funding to some low priority programs will buy time to implement the reductions necessary to balance spending with incoming revenue on a month to month basis until the Congress can put together a balanced budget.

“Congress hasn’t been doing its job to produce a balanced budget.   Hitting the debt ceiling ought to be a wake-up call for them,” said RLC board member Bill Westmiller.  “This may be a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity to apply immediate solutions that will bring spending under control right now and stop putting it off and making the situation worse. It’s like they’re waiting for some magical pixie to fix our budget crisis and plan to just keep spending at an ever increasing level until that magic moment comes.”

“We’re putting on a full-press to make Congress aware of our concerns. The RLC is tirelessly promoting a message of fiscal responsibility and encouraging supporters to contact their representatives. It’s time we demand that they stop mortgaging the prosperity of future generations to pay for past political deals,” said RLC Executive Secretary Corie Whalen.

“We may not win this battle, but the war to restore liberty and fiscal responsibility will go on,” said RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle.  “The entire House is up for reelection next year  and how they perform in this situation and what they do about balancing the budget in the next year will tell us who to support and who to oppose.  A lot of seats changed hands in 2010.  Based on the lack of fiscal responsibility shown by  congressional leaders in this situation, 2010 may have just been a preview of 2012.”

– 30 –

See the full text of the resolution at http://www.rlc.org/2011/05/17/resolution-in-opposition-to-raising-the-debt-ceiling/

Further information on this campaign can be found at http://www.rlc.org/2011/05/15/tell-congress-to-hold-the-line-on-debt/

To contact a local or national spokesperson call 512-656-8011

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a 527 political organization founded in 1991, committed to protecting the principles of individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise that once defined the Republican Party. The Caucus recruits and endorses candidates who support our agenda, works to elect limited-government Republicans to political office, and seeks to change the direction of the Republican Party to reflect members’ vision of liberty, peace and prosperity.  The RLC currently has local affiliates in more than 40 states and hundreds of endorsed office holders nationwide, including in the US House and Senate.

Republicans in Florida should be proud of the direction Governor Scott is taking the Republican Party (and state government). Thus far, there are several reasons to be pleased with Governor Scott’s budget and agenda:

• Scott proposed spending $4.6 billion less than this year’s budget and wants to eliminate seven percent of the state’s government jobs, which would mean about 6,700 state-worker layoffs — significant cuts and hard choices at a tough economic time. In fact, RLC member Kristi Dunn was recently interviewed about her support for Governor Scott’s budget;

• Tony Fabrizio, Scott’s campaign guru and advisor, polled the issue of legalizing marijuana in Florida and found that nearly 6 in 10 people support the idea — almost enough to pass a state Constitutional amendment. Of the 800 voters surveyed, 456 would have voted yes on a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana, but 344 would have voted against it;

• Governor Scott is working with the legislature to cut government waste. Legislators even asked the RLC’s input on what to cut;

• Governor Scott is a vocal opponent of the Obama health law and refuses to implement it in Florida unless it is found constitutional; and

• Governor Scott’s decision not to accept a $2.4 billion federal grant for a high speed rail project was a “courageous choice”, according to a congratulatory letter he received from the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida Chairman Matthew D. Nye.

Governor Scott spoke at a Republican Liberty Caucus of Central East Florida meeting in September, 2010.

The Florida chapter of the RLC will host its Lobby Days at the Capitol on March 14 and 15. The top issue on the agenda is a Taxpayers Bill of Rights for Florida.

While Republicans in The Badger State Have Finally Gained a Backbone,
Some Wisconsin Teachers Have Failed Their Students

by Aaron Biterman

Recent protests in Wisconsin have captured the attention of residents in that state and anyone paying attention to politics nationally. Governor Scott Walker, elected in November after many years of total Democrat control, proposed what he calls a budget repair bill to close the $3.6 billion shortfall. The legislation, which has support from large majorities of the Republican-controlled House and Senate, will significantly curb the collective bargaining rights of public employees in the state and would require most government workers to contribute to their pensions and health care premiums.

Specifically, if passed, state employee wage increases will be in conjunction with inflation such that employee pension contributions will rise to 5.8% of each employee’s salary, health insurance premiums will rise to 12.6% of their total premium, state workers could opt out of paying union dues after current contracts expire, and union dues could no longer be collected automatically.

Governor Walker says that these items are necessary to prevent furloughs while also reducing the $137 million deficit, but the Wisconsin Educational Association (WEA) and President Obama claim that Walker is using his political power to take away worker rights while reducing union power in the state. Of course, as the 2012 election moves closer, Democrats nationwide are concerned about Wisconsin – a key swing state – and rightfully so. Democrats receive 65% of union contributions while Republicans receive roughly 1%; roughly 34% is given to non-partisan causes.

The WEA and the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers have a combined annual revenue of nearly $30 million, according to the Center for Union Facts. Additionally, while nearly 10% of private school teachers are fired due to poor performance annually, less than two percent of Wisconsin teachers are let go as a result of inadequate performance. This is because Wisconsin public school teachers are virtually untouchable after three years of service, after which they receive tenure.

Now Wisconsin teachers have taken to the streets of Madison to protest the budget-balancing act of their newly elected governor. Meanwhile, the 14 Democrats who are members of the Wisconsin State Senate decided to leave their state and their constituents to block the Walker budget repair bill. By hiding out in Illinois, the Senate Democrats have blocked the 20 votes needed to obtain a quorum because Republicans only have 19 State Senate votes to pass the bill.

Ironically, from 2006 to 2010, when Democrats controlled the legislature and governor’s office, the same Democrats who fled their state also spearheaded controversial legislation that Republicans were not able to block, including, but not limited to:
▪ State borrowing of nearly $1.5 billion despite an unemployment rate less than the national average;
▪ Raising taxes to the tune of $900 million on cigarettes, hospitals, oil companies, and real estate in 2007;
▪ Raising taxes with a $1.1 billion tax package in 2009 which broadened the corporate tax base, increased the top personal income tax rate, reduced the capital gains tax exclusion, and increased hospital taxes; and
▪ Each of these tax hikes was in conjunction with increases in spending.

In these examples, Republican lawmakers chose to show up and make their arguments in opposition to the Democrat majority. They did not flee to another state as the 14 Democrat State Senators have.

This brings us back to the sad truth about the Wisconsin union protests: Many teachers have left their students behind for their own self-interest.

That’s right; some teachers in Madison and Milwaukee have skipped school to enhance their own wages despite the fact that 90% of black fourth-graders in the state are not proficient readers, thereby making them last in the nation in this demographic group according to the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. In 2009, 19% of Wisconsin high school students failed to qualify for service in the U.S. military as a result of their poor scores on the Army’s Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Student achievement in Wisconsin is disparate with mediocre results, yet some teachers had the nerve to leave their students in the dust to picket at the Capitol for days at a time.

When it comes to teacher quality, Wisconsin’s results are even worse than its student achievement rates. The National Council on Teacher Quality gives Wisconsin a “D” (with “F” meaning a total failure) in four out of five categories from its 2009 “State Policy Yearbook.” The state fails to deliver well-prepared teachers, expand its pool of teachers, identify effective teachers, and remove ineffective teachers. Specifically, the study concluded that Wisconsin “fails to make evidence of student learning the preponderant criterion in teacher evaluations” and “lacks an efficient termination process for ineffective teachers.”

The essential truth about the budget repair bill is that teacher union bosses across the country are watching Wisconsin. They know that if a Democrat-leaning state like The Badger State reduces the special privileges of its state employees, they could lose tens of thousands of forced dues dollars, some of which are earmarked for the campaigns of politicians like President Obama. States like Alabama, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia are considering following Governor Scott Walker’s lead on this issue to nip their budget shortfalls in the bud, too.

Freedom of association is a constitutional right and workers should be free to come together to organize. By the same token, teachers who don’t show up to class, legislators who run to another state, and doctors who write false sick notes should be held accountable. Thank you to Wisconsin’s teachers who continue to show up for work. These are the teachers that Wisconsin students can look up to as examples. Those who are not showing up have embarrassed themselves and their profession, and that’s the sadness in the Wisconsin union uprising.

Assuming the budget fix moves forward, there are some positives in the situation, too: the budget may finally balance, other states could follow the Wisconsin model, and a much-needed discussion about the special privileges that union power wields for public sector employees will have entered the public cognizance. We owe a debt of gratitude to Governor Walker and the Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature for their collective backbones.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Aaron Biterman is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is a certified teacher in The Badger State. In 2007, he moved from Wisconsin to Virginia, where he currently resides. He is an Advisory Board member of the Northern Virginia Tea Party and is Vice-Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

Wisconsin RLC Praises Governor Scott Walker’s Budget Repair Bill
State RLC Congratulates Endorsed Legislators, Governor

Yesterday, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin, which has made state and national news as a result of several prominent events in their state over the past year, issued a statement supporting Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill.

Wisconsin RLC Chairman Michael S. Murphy of Milwaukee spoke in strong support of the repair bill. “The RLC-WI supports Governor Scott Walker and the Republican Legislation in their efforts to curtail runaway government spending. We also want to commend these brave lawmakers for standing strong against oppositional union forces, which have resulted in numerous threats to their safety already. The RLC-WI stands behind this effort 100% and we hope that not one Republican Legislator waivers in their decision to support this bill before it is made into law.”

Murphy continued, “We are especially proud of the seven RLC-WI endorsed State Representatives, who recently took office after winning their respective elections in November. They are truly upholding the RLC standard and keeping their committed promises to reduce government spending.” (Note: Wisconsin RLC Vice Chair Terri McCormick, who recently spoke at the RLC National Convention in DC, is herself a former three-term State Representative.)

The Wisconsin RLC continues to be the only voice for limited government and individual liberty in the Republican Party in Wisconsin. Governor Scott Walker has exceeded the Wisconsin RLC’s expectations and wishes the Governor well in the coming weeks.

Photo above: Wisconsin RLC members gathered in 2009 to form their state chapter.

Florida RLC Applauds Governor Rick Scott’s High Speed Rail Decision
State RLC Issues Press Release and Congratulatory Letter

Florida Governor Rick Scott’s decision not to accept a $2.4 billion federal grant for a high speed rail project was a “courageous choice”, according to a congratulatory letter sent today from the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida.

In the letter, Florida RLC Chairman Matthew Nye told the governor, “When you spoke an RLC event back in September, you promised you would be making the tough decisions to get Florida back in fiscal order. With this decision, you are doing just that — and we commend you.”

The letter cites the recent Reason Foundation study titled “The Tampa to Orlando High Speed Rail Project: A Florida Taxpayer Risk Assessment,” which suggests the ultimate cost of the project could exceed expectations by $3 billion and these overruns would be borne by Florida taxpayers.

As noted by Florida RLC Vice Chairman John Stevens, the other issue at stake is our responsibility to demand fiscal responsibility at the federal level of government. “With a $13 trillion dollar national debt and deficits as far as the eye can see, state governors and legislators must send an unequivocal message to Washington DC that spending beyond our means — even if it would benefit their state — is no longer acceptable.”

A thank you letter was also mailed to Senate President Mike Haridopolos, who announced today he would stand by the governor’s decision. The press release was sent to about 90 media outlets across the state.

To let your legislators know how you feel on this issue, go here.

Florida RLC members gathered in 2009 to protest tax-increasing High Speed Rail. They just obtained a victory when Governor Rick Scott, an ally of the Florida RLC, blocked the rail plan.

A group of roughly 25 Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia supporters — including Chairman George Primbs, Vice Chair Steven Latimer, Treasurer Cliff Dunn, members of the Board of Directors, and members of the organization – met early in the morning on Monday, January 17 to participate in the Virginia Tea Party Lobby Day. This was the first coordinated group trip to Richmond.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Central Virginia played host to the northern Virginia contingent as well as several activists from Charlottesville, Newport News, and Virginia Beach. The day began with a RLC business meeting over coffee and breakfast. RLC’ers brought various literature and brochures to the event to distribute, and the Central Virginia RLC paid three folks to hand out our literature to everyone in attendance at the various events of the day. Chairman George Primbs made “I am the RLC” stickers that everyone ended up sporting.

The Board nominated Shelby McCurnin and Rob Kenyon to alternate positions on the Board of Directors. The Board also chose to endorse Republican Delegate Harvey Morgan’s bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana possession in the state of Virginia, HB 1443. After the business meeting, the RLC took a group photo (Note: other RLC members were not present at our initial gathering, but met up with us later in the day):

Then RLC members met up at the Capitol to meet with legislators. RLC Board member Rick Sincere met with Senator Creigh Deeds, a Democrat, to discuss non-partisan redistricting in the state. A small group of core RLC members met with Senator Mark Obenshain (R) to discuss his constitutional amendment to protect private property rights. Rick Sincere, who also runs his own blog, was able to get the Senator on audio discussing his legislation. The same group of RLC members had an excellent meeting with a new delegate, retired air force Colonel Rich Anderson (R), who represents a Democratic area west of Woodbridge. Delegate Anderson expressed that he may attend the RLC National Convention and enjoyed hearing from RLC members on the need to end government growth and, in particular, our support for HB 1443 to decriminalize marijuana. Each meeting was fruitful.

RLC members then went to a gun rights rally outside of the legislative office building.  After a break for lunch at the historic Tobacco Lounge, RLC members caught the tail end of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s speech — which an estimated 200 people attended. Cuccinelli talked about his lawsuits related to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Obamacare bill.

After the speech, RLC members went to testify and express support to the Criminal Justice Committee of the House of Delegates on HB 1443, Delegate Morgan’s bill to decriminalize marijuana. RLC’ers went with the intent of swaying a single Republican member of the Committee to consider allowing the bill to be considered in the General Assembly.  RLC member Rick Sincere testified in support of the bill, as did a large crowd from NORML and LEAP. Unfortunately, the bill was killed in Committee by a Democrat-Republican coalition of legislators.

Ultimately, this was one of the most productive meetings of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia. In addition to participating in the lobby process and showing unity at a Tea Party event/rally, the RLC also was able to engage a wide variety of allies on the organization’s mission as well as invite them to attend the 2011 Republican Liberty Caucus National Convention in Arlington, Va. on Feb. 12. Thanks to the RLCVA members who came out to join us.  To become active in the Virginia RLC, please e-mail us.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida has traditionally been one of the largest and most active state affiliates of the RLC. The chapter held its biennial Convention over the weekend, which featured State Senate President Mike Haridopolos (pictured below), who also spoke to RLC members at the 2006 National Convention in Orlando. Haridopolos recently announced his intent to run against Senator Bill Nelson for US Senate in 2012.

Some members were skeptical about Haridopolos, who has pledged his efforts to pass a Taxpayer Bill of Rights in Florida in 2011. Ultimately it was an honor to have Senator Haridopolos speak with our members and we appreciate his time and consideration.

The Florida RLC pledged to make passing a TABOR bill its number one priority in the coming two years. The Convention also elected the following Officers to lead the chapter forward:

Matt Nye, Chair
John Stevens, Vice Chair
Chevon Baccus, Secretary
Larry Roberts, Treasurer

Thanks to Philip Blumel and Matt Nye for their efforts in putting the Convention together — and to all those who attended.

Restricting the national conversation to tax cuts effectively prevents any real fiscal reform from ever happening on Capitol Hill. That’s because cutting taxes without cutting spending isn’t really cutting taxes at all. It’s deferring taxes to the future.

Imagine yourself in financial trouble, worrying over how much of your expenses you should pay with cash and how much you should pay with credit cards, but you never even consider reducing your expenses. The “debate” over tax cuts in recent months is about that absurd.

Please find out why by reading the rest of my article at CAIVN.

There is a growing number of incumbent Members of Congress who “get it”. They understand that the Iraq War was a failure, that Americans are disgusted with the bailout votes, and that any increase in government spending will mean more taxation and debt.

The Club for Growth recently listed its report card on fiscal policy for 2009. The results show that several endorsed Republican Liberty Caucus scored 100% on their legislative barometer, including Congressmen Jeff Flake (AZ), John Shadegg (AZ), Paul Broun (GA), and Doug Lamborn (CO). Scoring 95% or higher are RLC-endorsed Congressmen Scott Garrett (NJ), Tom McClintock (CA), Jim Jordan (OH), Jason Chaffetz (UT), Ron Paul (TX), and Ed Royce (CA).

Of these, Broun (GA), Royce (CA), Garrett (NJ), Paul (TX), and Flake (AZ) did not vote for any of the bailouts. Chaffetz and McClintock were not in Congress during any of the bailouts, so they cannot be held responsible for those votes.

Several of these Members of Congress also either voted against the Iraq War or believe it was a mistake. Those in the former camp include Congressman Ron Paul. Those in the latter camp include Congressman Jeff Flake and Congressman Tom McClintock.

Although this is a small group of Congressmen, we are starting to make some progress.  If we elect just one or two of our Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidates to Congress in 2010, we will be even further on our path to a free society.