JONES STATEMENT ON REPORT OF RISING FEDERAL DEFICIT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) commented on a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) which estimates that the federal deficit will climb to $544 billion this year, up $105 billion over last year’s deficit.  CBO’s report also predicts that over the coming decade, annual federal deficits will add $9.4 trillion to the national debt.  That’s $1.5 trillion above its last estimate in August of last year.  While the rising deficit is due to several factors, CBO said they were particularly related to massive tax and spending bills Congress passed late last year, both of which Congressman Jones voted against. Congressman Jones statement on the CBO report is below:      

“The big spenders in Washington continue to fail the American people by passing legislation that increases the deficit and the debt. The American people are sick and tired of politicians from both parties who say they want to do something about our ever-increasing debt, but never do anything substantive about it. That is why I voted against the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill last month, and against raising the debt limit last October. I am the only member of Congress who has voted against raising the debt limit for the past twelve years, and I have voted against more spending bills over that time than all but one of my Republican colleagues.  America can’t continue to borrow from the Chinese and leave our kids and grandkids with the tab. We’ve got to have the courage to start cutting spending, and we’ve got to do it now.”