Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), a member of the House Budget Committee, voted to restore fiscal responsibility by supporting statutory “pay-as-you-go” legislation. This measure (H.J.Res. 45), also known as PAYGO, passed the House by a vote of 233 to 187, and will now be sent to the President to be signed into law.

“Our nation is facing an unsustainably high deficit,” said Rep. Larsen. “PAYGO led our country from deficits to record surpluses during the late 1990s and will be a critical tool as we work to rein in spending and clean up this fiscal mess.”

PAYGO will hold Congress accountable by requiring any spending increases to be offset with savings elsewhere in the budget. This legislation is similar to the bipartisan PAYGO law enacted in the 1990s, which helped reverse huge deficits of the Reagan-Bush years, create budget surpluses, and produce an economic boom.  In 2007, the House made PAYGO part of House Rules, today’s vote will send the legislation to the President’s desk to give it the force of law.

“If American families can balance their checkbooks and live on a budget, Congress certainly can too,” said Rep. Larsen. “PAYGO is not a cure-all, but it is a necessary first step in restoring fiscal responsibility so we can build a long-term, sustainable budget that will create jobs and grow our economy for years to come.”

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