Woodall Comments on Obama Budget; Announces District Meetings

Written by Rep. Rob Woodall

Today, President Obama submitted his budget proposal for the upcoming year.  He made it clear in his State of the Union speech that the time for serious decisions is now.  I hope that next week's budget proposal is a reflection of this sentiment.  In his first three years, the President submitted budgets where each spent more than the last.  Those budgets were serious reflections of the President's priorities, but they were not serious attempts to get federal spending under control.  The President has said that this year will be different, and I am hopeful that he will follow through on that commitment.

Why am I hopeful?  The Congress negotiated an agreement with the President last year (a deal that the President signed into law) that committed to lower federal spending by $917 billion this year.  As you may remember, my freshman colleagues and I in the House drove the spending negotiations to ensure that federal discretionary spending was lower in 2011 than it was in 2010, and again lower in 2012 than it was in 2011.  We are the first Congress in 50 years to do that!  Our agreement with the President is that spending will decrease again in 2013, and the budget that he presents on Monday should reflect that agreement.  If President Obama follows through on his commitment, this will be the first budget that he has submitted that spends less rather than more, and I credit you with that success!  Washington works better when it knows you are watching.

If you have been watching, you know that the House has been hard at work preparing to pass the budget this year.  Last week the House took up and passed two bills, one of which I introduced on your behalf in Congress.  My bill, the Baseline Reform Act, and Georgia Congressman Tom Price's (R-Marietta) bill, the Pro-Growth Budgeting Act, are both bills that will bring common sense and accountability to the budget process.

This week, the House considered and passed two more budget reform bills, the Budget Accounting and Transparency Actand Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act of 2011.  These two bills also provide important reforms that help to control runaway federal spending.  Better spending habits come when better rules govern the spending and when more honest information is shared with the American people.  My colleagues and I are working from the ground up to provide a budget that is wiped clean of gimmicks and doublespeak.  Hopefully, the Senate will take up these four bills, along with the 27 pieces of bipartisan job creating legislation that the House has already passed, and send them to the President's desk for his signature.

As we continue to grapple with these issues both here at home and in Washington, I am grateful for all of your thoughts, suggestions, and prayers from across the Seventh District.

Understanding that I am always only a phone call or email away, I still value a handshake and face-to-face conversation.  With that in mind, please consider joining the conversation at one of the following Town Hall Meetings:

Gwinnett County Town Hall
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
7:00PM - 8:00PM
Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Auditorium 
75 Langley Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046 

Walton County Town Hall
Saturday, February 25, 2012
9:00AM - 10:00AM
Loganville Middle School Auditorium 
152 Clark McCullers Drive 
Loganville, GA 30052

Forsyth County Town Hall
Saturday, February 25, 2012
11:30AM - 12:30PM
Big Creek Elementary  Cafeteria 
1949 Peachtree Parkway 
Cumming, GA 30041

While an RSVP is not necessary, please feel free to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and indicate which Town Hall you will be attending and what is on your mind.  Our dialogue is critical to moving America in the right direction for the Seventh District.  My fight to end irresponsible, misguided, and wasteful government is strengthened with your voice, so please consider joining me.  Working together, we can provide fact-based solutions to get this nation back on track and ensure that America's best days are still ahead.

Again, thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement.