Washington, D.C. – The following is a written statement by Steve Ellis, Vice President of Programs at Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the 2006 federal budget:

The 2006 budget proposal reminds me of a low-budget zombie flick: no matter how many times they try to cut these wasteful, scary programs, they keep coming back from the grave to torment taxpayers. Let me be clear, these wasteful and redundant programs will keep coming back unless the administration is willing to protect their budgets by driving the veto pen through the hearts of some of these zombies.

Holding down wasteful spending is more important now than ever. In just a few weeks, Congress is expected to consider a supplemental bill to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This bill, expected to cost more than $80 billion, is the surprise villain of this budget horror movie: everyone in the audience can see him coming, but characters in the movie are taken by surprise. Current deficit projections don’t include this known expense, setting us up for another all too predictable shocker.

Finding religion on the budget deficit is all well and good, but faith alone won’t cut the deficit. For real change, the administration must start defending their budget proposal. Last year, the administration proposed cutting or eliminating 128 programs, 65 of which would be fully eliminated. Out of the 65, only 5 were actually killed. Even National League pitchers have a better batting average!

If the administration wants to start swinging for the budget deficit fences, they need to start wielding the veto pen. The President needs to keep Congress in line by throwing bad bills back at them and telling them to start from scratch. The president has never vetoed a bill, but a spending bill would be a good place to start. Sharply worded messages to Congress, coupled with the sure knowledge that the President will wield his veto power, would bring the sobering fiscal restraint that we sorely lack. If the President wants to cut the deficit in half and restore any fiscal sanity to the budget process, there's really no other solution.

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