Open Letter Opposing the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015

October 29, 2015
Washington, DC

The latest budget deal negotiated by the White House and outgoing House Speaker John Boehner, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, proposes increasing spending by $85 billion over the next three fiscal years. What the deal doesn’t include are meaningful accountability measures that ensure responsible spending levels.

The deal would allow Treasury unfettered borrowing power until 2017 in exchange for theoretical budget cuts down the road. The included offsets are spending gimmicks, at best. According to budget analyses from the Congressional Budget Office and The Heritage Foundation, the deal would result in spending increase of $85 billion over the next three years, while significant spending cuts would not take place for another ten years-until 2025. Furthermore, we cannot reasonably expect that a future Congress will abide by these measures. Moreover, the busting of the caps presently is proof that the gimmicks which promise reform later are hollow.

This “Bipartisan Deal” indicates a dangerous trend that has become commonplace in Washington-rather than answer hard questions about spending, the Congress is choosing to eliminate the possibility of those conversations or votes for the next two years. Furthermore, the deal represents total surrender on important conservative principles, while capitulating to every demand of the White House.

It is this sort of irresponsible spending that has resulted in a national debt of over 18 trillion dollars. For the first time in nearly six years, Republicans have control of both Houses of Congress and a real chance to send responsible budget reforms to the President’s desk.A responsible alternative would acknowledge the importance of appropriating funds for government operations while simultaneously addressing our statutory debt limit and staying within the budget caps.

Instead, lawmakers have forgone the chance at meaningful reforms and instead are digging us deeper into the mire of debt our nation has already accrued.

In potentially the most egregious portion of the deal, the Overseas Contingency Operation or “OCO” fund, which is dubious in and of itself, is typically designated for efforts to support troops on the ground in emergency situations, is turned over to a slush-fund for non-defense spending.

We oppose the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 not only because it fails to curtail spending, but it prevents future reform for an entire two years. Lawmakers should reject this deal, and attach earnest, meaningful reform to any hike of the debt limit.

 

The Honorable Edwin Meese III
Former Attorney General
President Ronald Reagan

The Honorable Colin A. Hanna
President
Let Freedom Ring, Inc.

Alfred S. Regnery
Chairman
Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund

The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.
Former Domestic Advisor
President Ronald Reagan

The Honorable David McIntosh
President
The Club for Growth

L. Brent Bozell, III
Chairman
ForAmerica

Rod D. Martin
Founder and CEO
The Martin Organization

Sherri R. Martin
The Martin Foundation

Nicholas Stehle
Campaign for the American Future

Jenny Beth Martin
Co-Founder
Tea Party Patriots

Kevin Kookogey
President & Founder
The Advancing Church

Judson Phillips
Founder
Tea Party Nation

Belden Bell
Trustee
The Heritage Foundation

Gary L. Bauer
President
American Values

Phyllis Schlafly
Founder
Eagle Forum

Ed Martin
President
Eagle Forum

George Landrith
President
Frontiers of Freedom

Jim Backlin
Christian Coalition of America

Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for Military Readiness

Bradley Mattes
President
Life Issues Institute

Mike Spence
President
Conservative Republicans of California

Ambassador Henry F. Cooper
Former U.S. Chief Negotiator
Defense and Space Talks
President Ronald Reagan

Nancy Schulze
Co-founder, American Prayer Initiative
Speaker

Quin Hillyer
Veteran Conservative Columnist

Dr. Richard G. Lee
President
There’s Hope America

Hon. Sharron Angle
President
National Federation of Republican Assemblies

Hon. Jerry Melvin
President
Florida Republican Assembly

Tricia Erickson
President
Angel Pictures & Publicity, Incorporated

Bob Adams
President
Revive America PAC

Melissa Ortiz
Founder & Principal
Able Americans

The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop
Chairman, Conservative Action Project (CAP)
Former White House Advisor, President Ronald Reagan

Ed Corrigan
Former Executive Director
Senate Steering Committee

The Honorable Tony Perkins
President
Family Research Council

William L. Walton
Vice President
Council for National Policy

Erick-Woods Erickson
Editor-in-Chief, RedState
Host of The Erick Erickson Show

James C. Miller III
Former Budget Director
President Ronald Reagan

Thomas A. Schatz
President
Citizens Against Government Waste

Arthur D. Ally
President
Timothy Plan Family of Funds

Richard P. Bott, II
President & CEO
Bott Radio Network

Richard Viguerie
Chairman
ConservativeHQ.com

The Honorable Donald J. Devine
Former Director
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
President Ronald Reagan

Donna Hearne
CEO
The Constitutional Coalition

Joseph R. Gregory
Gregory Management Co.

Phil Kerpen
President
American Commitment

Seton Motley
President
Less Government

C. Preston Noell III
President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.

Willes K. Lee
Executive Vice President
National Federation of Republican Assemblies

Mathew D. Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

Beverly Gossage
President
HSA Benefits Consulting

Robert K. Fischer
Meeting Coordinator
Conservatives of Faith

Ted Baehr
Publisher
MOVIEGUIDE(R)
Member, Broadcast Film Critics Association

Alex-St. James
Executive Director
Blacks Economic Security Trust (BEST)
Chairman Emeritus, African American Republican Leadership Council (AARLC)

Lee Beaman
Chief Executive Officer
Beaman Automotive

Donna Rice Hughes
President & CEO
Enough Is Enough

Ron Robinson
President
Young America’s Foundation

Christopher N. Malagisi
President
Young Conservatives Coalition

Charles J. Cooper
Former Assistant Attorney General
President Ronald Reagan

All organizations listed for identification purposes only.

The Conservative Action Project, founded by former Attorney General Edwin Meese and chaired by The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop, is designed to facilitate conservative leaders working together on behalf of common goals. Participants include the CEO’s of over 100 organizations representing all major elements of the conservative movement: economic, social and national security.