Ms. Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense issued the following statement upon announcement of an agreement between congressional leaders that would bust the budget caps by $300 billion:

“We will be analyzing the package as the details and actual legislative language emerge, but the initial reporting and comments from Hill leadership are not reassuring from a budgetary perspective.

Anyone who cares about the country’s mounting debt and federal fiscal policy has to be severely disappointed in the budget deal that is emerging today. On top of the costly tax cuts enacted last year, the country is likely facing a trillion dollar deficit this year and in breaking with previous budget deals to amend the caps established by the Budget Control Act of 2011, the vast majority of this package is not offset. Not even sham offsets. The bill includes wasteful and unnecessary bailouts for the cotton and dairy producers that will set the stage for increases in farm bill spending later in the year. The disaster package includes tens of billions of dollars in ill-defined and poorly targeted block grants.

Governing is about setting priorities, understanding what investments cost, and making hard choices. We are seeing none of that today. ”

— Ryan Alexander, president