Crapo: Spending Plan So Bad It Gets Three 'No' Votes

Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, noted today's federal budget blueprint that narrowly passed the Senate is so bad that he had to vote against it three times-in committee and twice on the Senate floor. Crapo said the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution conference report that passed on a 48 to 45 vote is the first budget plan ever to top $1 trillion in spending and could raise taxes for the average American family by more than $2,000 annually.

"This budget blueprint does nothing to reduce wasteful and unnecessary spending-even by a single dollar," Crapo said. "At the same time, the budget assumes tax increases on families to pay for billions of dollars in new spending. If there ever has been a 'tax and spend budget, this is it."

Crapo said the budget blueprint assumes the largest tax increases in history and ignores $66 trillion in unfunded entitlement obligations that will be passed to future Americans. Some senior citizens will see a $2,200 tax increase while some small business owners will see more than a $4,000 increase in taxes under the plan.