Glacier Country News

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) On April 27, 2023, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act which aims to limit federal spending, save taxpayer dollars, and grow the economy.

“The people of Montana sent me to Congress to fix the mess – not add to it. The Democrats’ plan to raise the debt ceiling without looking into the issue that caused us to hit the limit is the definition of fiscal irresponsibility,” Zinke said. “With nothing but lies coming from Democrats in all three branches, House Republicans crafted a long-term solution to curb reckless spending, save taxpayer dollars, reinforce Social Security and Medicare programs, and decrease our dependance on potential adversaries. Anyone who understands a hard day’s work would vote to pass this bill.”

Due to the swell of government spending over the last three years the debt limit will soon be reached, and Congress is forced to lift the debt ceiling to prevent a default and downgrading of U.S. credit. House Republicans are demanding that government spending be reduced and savings found elsewhere so that we are not in this situation every year, and instead can start reducing the deficit and paying down the debt. President Biden and Chuck Schumer have not put forth a plan other than raise the debt limit and spend more until we reach the limit again.

This act, sometimes described in the media as a debt ceiling plan, addresses the looming Democrat-created debt crisis by capping future spending, recouping unspent COVID funding, repealing market distorting green tax credits, cutting regulations, and implementing pro-growth policies like a work requirement and energy permitting reform.

An outline of the Bill is below:

• Limit future spending by returning discretionary spending to pre-pandemic levels while maintaining a strong national defense and protecting Medicare and Social Security
  • Reduces excessive government spending by setting FY24 discretionary spending at FY22 levels (estimated $131 billion in immediate savings)
  • Caps growth of discretionary spending at 1% per year for the next ten years while maintaining current funding for national defense, veterans, and national security (estimated $3.6 trillion savings over ten years)
  • Protects funding of our national defense and makes no cuts to Medicare or Social Security
• Save taxpayer money
  • Claws back unobligated COVID funds (roughly $50 billion in immediate savings)
  • Defunds the Democrats’ massive expansion of the IRS (estimated $71 billion in immediate savings)
  • Repeals federal spending on Green New Deal tax credits (at least $271 billion in savings)
  • Prohibits the illegal Biden student loan bailout (estimated $465 billion in savings)
• Grow the economy and workforce by increasing American energy production, reducing federal regulatory burdens, and instituting reasonable work requirements for able-bodied citizens who receive federal benefits
  • Includes the REINS Act to require Congressional approval of any federal regulation that has an economic effect of at least $100 million, spurring economic growth and reducing the burden on small businesses and families
  • Institutes reasonable, Clinton-era work requirements on SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid to lift people out of poverty, grow the workforce, and reduce federal entitlement spending (estimated $120 billion in savings)
    • Adjusts the age of existing SNAP work requirements from 18-49 (current law) to 18-55 (maintaining current law exemptions for parents, pregnant women, students, and those with disabilities)
    • 19-55 year-olds on Medicaid will be required to work, volunteer, or enroll in a work training program for at least 80 hours per month (with the same SNAP exemptions)
    • Eliminates gimmicks that states exploit to exempt TANF recipients from work requirements under current law
  • Includes the Lower Energy Costs Act to increase domestic energy production and exportation, reduce regulatory burdens, and reform permitting across all sectors of the economy (including $20 billion in immediate savings by repealing the Green New Bank)

The Limit, Save Grow Act is widely supported by conservative stakeholders and groups including: Advancing American Freedom; America First Policy Institute; Associated Builders and tors (ABC); American Commitment; Americans for Limited Government; Americans for Prosperity; Citizens for Renewing America; Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE); tee for a Responsible Federal Budget; Committee to Unleash Prosperity; Competitive enterprise Institute (CEI); Conservatives for Property Rights; Council for Citizens Against Government Waste; CPAC; ForAmerica; Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA);

Works; Heritage Action - Key Vote; Heritage Foundation; Job Creators Network; al Taxpayers Union (NTU) - Key Vote; Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC); States Taxpayer Protection Alliance (TPA); Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Original source can be found here.