Harris Criticizes President Obama's Proposed Budget

Rep. Andy Harris says the fiscal year 2012 budget proposed by President Barack Obama will put more pressure on families than they can handle. Harris plans to vote for billions of dollars worth of cuts in discretionary spending this week.

In a statement released Monday, the U.S. congressman for the state’s first district listed a number of “key facts” as to why the proposal “spends,” “taxes” and “borrows too much.”

“As Americans have tightened their belts, President Obama has created a budget that will burden families and businesses with higher taxes, too much spending and more debt,” Harris said in the statement. “The massive tax hikes on families and small businesses and runaway spending will continue to lead to economic uncertainty and make it difficult for businesses to grow and create jobs.”

Harris criticized a $1.6 trillion “tax hike on families, small businesses and job creators” as well an increase to 20 percent of revenues as a percent of GDP as reasons he believes the plan taxes too much.

He added that $3.8 trillion in spending in the coming fiscal year and $46 trillion in the next decade are problematic, too.

The congressman also criticized the $1.6 trillion deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.

“A group of 150 economists signed a statement sent to the White House yesterday that urges spending cuts to help create a better environment for job growth. I believe that we need to listen to the American people and begin to break the cycle of big government,” Harris said. “I will vote this week to cut $100 billion in discretionary spending to the current fiscal year’s budget. In contrast, President Obama has asked for an increase in the national debt limit with no spending cuts.”