FreedomWorks Reacts to Deal on Appropriations Toplines

Washington, D.C. – Following the announcement of the deal on topline figures for FY 2024 appropriations, Adam Brandon, FreedomWorks president, commented:

“Discretionary spending isn’t driving budget deficits and debt. That’s a fact. The Congressional Budget Office projects that discretionary spending as a percentage of GDP will be lower in FY 2024 than it was in FY 1996. Projections are that discretionary spending will continue to tick downward over the next decade. Trust fund programs and interest on the share of the debt held by the public are what’s driving deficits and debt and, ultimately, what’s pushing America into a sovereign debt crisis. We need Congress to begin focusing on solutions to that crisis rather than nibbling around the edges by arguing over discretionary spending, which amounts to a little more than a quarter of federal outlays. Speaker Johnson promised a fiscal commission when he took the gavel in October. We’re still waiting to see movement on that. This is a crisis that needs to be taken seriously, and we hope legislation to establish a fiscal commission becomes a top priority in the coming weeks.” 

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