Crawford: Spending controls are a must
JONESBORO — As lawmakers in Washington appear stalled in avoiding going over the “fiscal cliff,” U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford said spending controls must be part of the equation.
Crawford, R-Jonesboro, and U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., urged House and Senate leaders to include a balanced budget amendment or other permanent spending controls as part of the deal to “avert the so-called ‘fiscal cliff.’”
“Before the end of the year, it will be essential for Congress and the White House to reach a bipartisan agreement that will avert the fiscal cliff and will put America’s economy back on track,” Crawford said Friday. “If nothing is done, across-the-board-spending cuts will hurt senior citizens, middle-class families and every sector of our economy. Tax increases will also put a huge burden on the backs of small-business owners. However, it would be a mistake for Republicans to strike a deal that increases spending in exchange for higher taxes and the promise that we will cut spending down the road. If Republicans are going to strike a deal that raises taxes, then permanent spending controls must be part of the deal.”
President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner have been in talks to reach a compromise, but Boehner told The Associated Press on Friday the president had taken a “my way or the highway” approach.
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