Headline
DC DOUBLESPEAK: Talk is Cheap as Congressman Blunt Attempts to Cover His Reckless Spending Record
For Immediate Release: February 1, 2010 Contact: Ryan Hobart (573) 636-5241 Ext. 125 --30--
DC DOUBLESPEAK: Talk is Cheap as Congressman Blunt Attempts to Cover His Reckless Spending Record
Congressman Blunt draws fire from primary opponent for turning $128 billion surplus into $1.2 trillion deficit
Jefferson City, MO - Congressman Blunt has taken his hypocrisy to new heights by criticizing others for deficit spending and hoping Missourians won't remember he was part of the Congressional leadership team that turned a $128 billion surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit. Even State Senator Chuck Purgason, Congressman Blunt's primary opponent for the Republican nomination, has said, "When Representative Blunt was in the leadership the deficit grew almost $1.5 trillion. Republicans have proved they can't balance the budget either." [Chuck Purgason, KC Star 12/27/09]
"Congressman Roy Blunt has a clear record of wasteful government spending, which is why he's taking heat from Democrats and Republicans alike," said Ryan Hobart, Communications Director for the Missouri Democratic Party. "Missourians are tired of Congressman Blunt's DC doublespeak on fiscal responsibility, considering he was part of the Washington leadership team that turned a $128 billion surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit."
Congressman Roy Blunt likes to tout his fiscal conservatism on the campaign trail, but his record tells a different story. As a member of the Republican leadership in the House, Blunt was instrumental in enacting President Bush's budget-busting agenda and helping turn a $128 billion surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit.
Exploding Deficits - Blunt Turned $128 Billion Surplus into $1.2 Trillion Deficit: The Bush-Blunt team inherited a budget surplus of $128 billion in 2001 but proceeded to post deficits every single year after that. In fact, the Blunt-led Republican majority never once balanced its annual budgets. As a result, by the time Bush left office in 2009, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated a deficit of $1.2 trillion. [CNN, 1/28/09; New York Times, 8/25/09]
Skyrocketing Debt - Blunt Oversaw Doubling of the National Debt: During the time Blunt was in the Republican leadership, the national debt nearly doubled from $5.7 trillion in 1999 to more than $10 trillion eight years later - an over $4 trillion increase. [TreasuryDirect.gov]
Congressman Blunt is running against State Senator Chuck Purgason and Kansas City auto consultant Mark Memoly in the August 2010 primary for the Republican nomination for US Senate.
