Issue Position: Spending and Taxes

Issue Position

For too long, the fiscal debate has centered on cutting taxes alone. However, cutting taxes is only half of the battle. We must address the real cause behind why politicians are raising our taxes in the first place: runaway government spending. Don't misunderstand me, I do not support tax increases in any form, but taxes are the symptom of a much more inherent problem in Washington. Washington has bought in to the myth that it can spend its way out of trouble. Government spending is so far out of line that raising taxes has unfortunately become the only response Washington politicians know.

Washington can learn a lot from Hoosier families: common sense, setting priorities, and not spending more than you have. Don't let Washington politicians tell you the problem is complicated. It's not. Thousands of families across Indiana set their family's budget every day without the aid of a Harvard Economist. I want to take the same common sense your family exhibits with your family budget, to Washington. That's why I support common sense spending solutions such as a balanced budget amendment and putting an end to earmark spending.

I believe our fundamental spending priorities should include a strong national defense, immediately securing our borders, and developing our nation's infrastructure. Apart from those, we must look to shrink government bureaucracy. Indiana has been a model for the way the federal government should operate. That's why in these challenging economic times I support following our state's lead and cutting all federal bureaucracies across the board by 10%. I would also work to simplify the tax code and make it less hostile toward families that wish to save and invest in their future by eliminating unjust taxes like the Estate Tax, more accurately known as the "death tax."

As a citizen legislator in the Indiana General Assembly, I have never voted for a tax increase, and I helped pass the first honestly balanced budget our state has seen in years. During my tenure in the State Legislature, I have been honored to help our state go from a $1billion deficit in 2001, to the 2009 budget which budgeted a $1billion surplus. As your United States Senator, I'll take these same fiscal convictions to Washington.

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