For Immediate Release                                                           Contact: Kristen Hawn (202) 226-9782
May 7, 2009                                      

Melancon Statement on Proposed Budget Cuts

Washington, DC – Representative Charlie Melancon (D-LA), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications, released the following statement in response to President Obama’s proposed $17 billion in budget cuts for FY 2010.

“As members of Congress, we have a responsibility to make sure taxpayer dollars are being used wisely and efficiently,” said Representative Melancon.  “In taking this important step to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in government spending, President Obama is demonstrating his commitment to putting our country back on a fiscally sustainable path. 

“The Blue Dogs stand ready to work with the administration as we continue to take steps to restore responsibility and accountability to the federal government, including, as President Obama mentioned in his remarks today, reinstituting the statutory pay-as-you-go rules of the 1990s,” Melancon said.

This morning, the President reiterated his commitment to pay-as-you-go by saying, “One important step is restoring the "pay as you go" rule -- and I've called on Congress to do exactly that.  This rule says, very simply, that Congress can only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere.  This is the principle that guides responsible families managing a budget.  This is the principle that helped transform large deficits into surpluses in the 1990s."

The commitment by the President and the Democratic-controlled House was also clear in January when the House passed H.Res. 40, a measure introduced by Representative John Tanner and endorsed by the Blue Dog Coalition.  H.Res. 40 brings an unprecedented level of responsibility and accountability to the federal government by requiring that each standing House committee conduct at least three hearings a year on the topic of waste and mismanagement in government spending.

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public.  The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States.  Currently there are 51 members of the Blue Dog Coalition.  For more information, visit the Blue Dog Website at http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/.