Rogers Statement on President’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request

April 2, 2012

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers released the following statement on the President’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget request, released by the White House:

“The Appropriations Committee will take a close look at the President’s budget request, and is prepared to work with the Administration in areas of mutual interest. However, the President’s budget falls exceptionally short in many critical areas – including a lack of any substantive proposal for mandatory and entitlement spending reform. It is imperative that both the President and Congress put greater focus on addressing the exploding costs of these programs – which make up the vast majority of the federal budget. Without meaningful action in this area, the nation’s debt and deficit crisis will continue, increasing the risk to our nation’s financial and economic future.

“Over the next few weeks and months, the Appropriations Committee will conduct comprehensive budget oversight hearings, including calling on Administration officials to account for their past and proposed use of taxpayer dollars. The Committee will go line by line through the President’s budget, prioritize programs, and make decisions on the appropriate investment of discretionary funds. It is essential that this Congress do its utmost to root out the unnecessary, ineffectual, and problematic spending in this budget to ensure that each tax dollar is well spent – continuing our historical reductions that have saved the taxpayers $95 billion over the last two years.”