Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) authored and forwarded a letter today to the President encouraging him to curb wasteful government spending by incorporating the Federal Sunset Act’s language in his next budget request. Seventeen other members of the House of Representatives signed onto Brady’s letter to President Bush.
"The federal government for all the good it can do, is simply too big and too fat. We’ve got to stop wasting tax dollars on obsolete government programs that duplicate each other. My Sunset Act is an accountability measure that will force government to be leaner and more efficient.
"Our President has delivered much needed tax-relief to working families. The Sunset Act would underscore his is conservative fiscal agenda by curbing government spending", said House Ways and Means Committee member and fiscal conservative Kevin Brady.
Brady is the author of the Abolishment of Obsolete Agencies and Federal Sunset Act of 2003, which has 48 co-sponsors. Brady’s Sunset Act would place an expiration date on every federal agency, department and program, requiring them to justify their existence to taxpayers or face elimination. The average federal program duplicates five others. There are 163 programs with a job training or employment function, 64 welfare programs of a similar nature, and more than 500 urban aid programs. While many of these are meritorious programs, Congress could well afford to streamline and save tax dollars, making it easier for folks to understand and know where to seek this aid. Agencies could ultimately spend money serving more people in need of assistance rather than administrative paperwork.
Sunsetting has proven successful in Texas and 24 other states. Sunsetting has eliminated 44 agencies and saved the taxpayers $720 million in Texas.
Additionally, Brady is a co-sponsor of H..R. 180, the Budget Fraud Elimination Act. This bill gives the President a form of line-item veto and creates new was to prevent last minute "pork projects" from being added to spending bill. If there is anything the recent Appropriations bill taught us it’s that Washington needs to be more accurate about balancing it’s books and not waste precious taxpayer dollars.
