Earlier this year, President Bush and Congress took a step in the right direction when they passed a budget that begins to restrain the runaway growth in spending. Unfortunately, yesterday the Senate passed a massive $295 billion transportation bill that breaks that budget agreement. The bill, H.R. 3, is more than $11 billion larger than the agreed upon allotment for transportation. FreedomWorks urges the President and Congress to reject this extra spending in conference.

At what point do we admit that federal spending is out of control? The amount government spends annually per household has risen from $18,000 in 2000 to $20,500 in 2004 - an increase of 13% and the largest five-year expansion of the government since the Vietnam era. This marks only the fourth time in U.S. history that federal spending has exceeded $20,000 per household.

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe today joined other taxpayer groups to salute Representatives Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R.-Texas), Rep. Paul Ryan (R.- Wis.), Rep. Chris Chocola (R.-Ind.), and Rep. Christopher Cox (R.-Calif.) for reintroducing the Family Budget Protection Act. FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe commented:

Hello, my name is Bruno Behrend and I'm testifying today wearing two hats. First, I am the State Director for FreedomWorks -- a think tank that integrates research with grassroots organizing to promote policies that empowers individuals. Second, I am the Executive Director of the Coalition for our Children's Future -- a Coalition of organizations working to prevent job-killing tax increases and save our public education system.

Government spending is growing at unsustainable rates, threatening future economic growth and prosperity. This threat is why FreedomWorks applauds President Bush for presenting a fiscal 2006 budget that begins to restrain discretionary spending and eliminates some unneeded programs.

Government spending is growing at unsustainable rates, threatening future economic growth and prosperity. This threat is why FreedomWorks applauds President Bush for presenting a fiscal 2006 budget that begins to restrain discretionary spending and eliminates some unneeded programs.

Policymakers would do well to keep in mind a couple of universal truths when preparing to embark upon fundamental changes to long-standing programs and entrenched policies, such as creating personal retirement accounts and simplifying the federal tax code. One such truth is: What we don't know usually doesn't harm us nearly as much as what we think we know that isn't true.