By Congressman Steve Stockman (R-TX)
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Stockman Friday released his own “Stockman Smartquester” alternative to President Barack Obama’s “sequester” plan, which requires $83.4 billion in across-the-board cuts if a spending plan is not agreed to be March 1.
While Obama’s sequester seeks $83.4 billion in spending cuts, the Stockman Smartquester saves even more money, $84 billion from just five programs, without touching essential services.
“Obama proposed sequester, demanded it be part of the debt deal, signed it into law and angrily promised to veto the GOP efforts to repeal it,” said Stockman, “Now, like Dr. Frankenstein, he’s running from his own creation. It is an intentional untruth to say sequester cuts must come from police officers and schools. It’s a tiny cut that barely moves the needle on federal spending. You can meet sequester targets by instead eliminating a small amount of waste, which is what the Stockman Smartquester does.”
“Not only does the Stockman Smartquester save even more money than Obama’s blunt sequester cuts, it cuts spending without touching critical programs like police, schools and NASA,” said Stockman.
“House Republicans have passed two different bills to replace Obama’s plan to cut critical services. Senate Democrats refuse to hold a vote on it and Obama once vowed to veto any plans to stop his sequester,” said Stockman. “Republicans want responsible spending reductions, but Democrats seem committed to blind, across-the-board cuts to scare people. I encourage my Democrat colleagues to cease irresponsible blustering and support the intelligent cuts in the Stockman Smartquester.”
The plan, five simple spending cuts which meet Obama’s sequester reduction targets without cuts to essential programs, is outlined below:
The $84.0 billion “Stockman Smartquester” Plan, which saves even more money than $83.4 billion Obamaquester
Eliminate the government’s “free cell phone” plan that has ballooned into the ObamaPhone giveaway, 41 percent of which goes to people not even eligible: $2.2 billion in savings
Eliminate ObamaCare’s “Public Health Slush Fund,” which even Democrats want to eliminate: $10 billion in savings
Require food stamp recipients, the numbers of which have exploded under Obama, to actually be eligible for food stamps: $26 billion in savings
Eliminate overpayments for ObamaCare exchange subsidies: $44 billion in savings
Eliminate Obama’s “renewable energy” fund in the Energy Department: $1.8 billion in savings
TOTAL SAVINGS: $84 billion
Contact: Donny Ferguson, 202-225-1555 or Donny.Ferguson@mail.house.gov
