Key Vote “No” Reid Omnibus

On behalf of hundreds of thousands of FreedomWorks members nationwide, I urge you to VOTE NO on the upcoming “Reid Omnibus.”  This is a group of bills that have been previously held up by Sen. Tom Coburn’s uncompromising dedication to fiscal responsibility and limited government. 

Legislation that results in an expansion of government, which calls for new programs, or increases spending, deserves not only a debate, but roll call votes that hold our leaders accountable for their actions.  Senators should not be able to hide behind the anonymity of voice votes merely to attach their name to what they consider to be politically expedient legislation.  To not give the hard-earned tax dollars of American citizens the dignity of debate is an insult to the sacrifice made in the name of good governance.

It might have been easy to forget the very real cost of these bills if considered singly, a few million here and there have a way of being siphoned off, unnoticed, on seemingly insignificant feel-good projects.  But considered as a whole, this means billions in new spending on everything from earmarks for the Metro in Washington, D.C.,  to the “Captive Primates Safety Act.”  With a looming $800 billion deficit, these bills are not something the United States can afford.  Many of the bills included in the package duplicate current projects, with no plans to cease the original projects.  Others do not include much needed metrics directives that would indicate whether the money spent was achieving the set goals.

This is not about opposition to any specific bill in the package, but about accountability and the need for money to be spent prudently.  When millions of Americans need to watch their spending everyday, taking the time to make tough decisions about the future, there is no reason why the Senate shouldn’t have to do the same. 

We will count your vote on the “Reid Omnibus” as a KEY VOTE when calculating the FreedomWorks Economic Scorecard for 2008. The FreedomWorks Economic Scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the Jefferson Award, which recognizes members of Congress with voting records that support economic freedom.