WASHINGTON (1 February) – U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), representing Florida’s 9th Congressional District, today issued the following statement after the release of the White House’s record $3.8 trillion FY2011 budget proposal:

“I have been encouraged by President Obama’s recent calls for fiscal responsibility, but unfortunately the budget numbers presented today don’t match the rhetoric.

“Under President Obama's new budget, the deficit soars to a record $1.56 trillion and puts the nation on a course to more than double the national debt held by future generations. The proposal is more of the same out-of-control deficit spending and higher taxes that we have seen from this Administration over the past year.

“While I recognize that the burden of fiscal responsibility falls on the shoulders of both parties, the answer isn’t to combat spending and deficits with even greater spending and increased debt. The President is correct that we need to get Washington’s fiscal house in order to achieve sustainable economic growth, but this budget’s trajectory is simply unsustainable and doesn’t put us on a path to achieve that goal.”

View the President’s FY2011 Budget of the U.S. Government at http://www.budget.gov.

WASHINGTON (27 January) – U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), representing Florida’s 9th Congressional District, this evening released the following statement on President Barack Obama's first State of the Union Address:

“Tonight President Obama outlined a welcomed, although small step toward fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, I fear that freezing 1/6 of the federal budget after a year of enormous spending increases which have already set us on a course to double the size of the $12 trillion national debt is little more than a political ploy.

"Instead of pushing an agenda that burdens the nation with new taxes and crushing deficits, I believe that the best way to encourage job creation is to allow families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn so they can innovate, grow, and create jobs to turn our economy around.

“As Congress begins anew in 2010, I am hopeful that Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats will work to incorporate Republican ideas and put forth proposals that reduce spending and cut taxes to match the President’s lofty rhetoric."