Jun 12 2013

Graham Ranks in Top 5 for Spending Cuts

Proposed and sponsored legislation over the past two years which would cut more than $400 billion in federal spending

WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) proposed and sponsored legislation over the past two years which would cut more than $400 billion in federal spending according to a report released by the conservative National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF).

NTUF's ‘BillTally' reported that Graham's plan to put federal spending on a diet makes him the fifth most fiscally conservative lawmaker in the United States Senate. Among the spending items cited by the organization were his support for repealing Obamacare, repealing Dodd-Frank, passage of Cut, Cap, and Balance, and support for welfare reform.

"If we do not change course in our spending habits, the United States will become Greece," said Graham, a member of the Senate Budget Committee. "It's past time we make the tough choices to control federal spending and the future growth of entitlements."

According to NTUF, the ‘BillTally' report is the most methodical and comprehensive study of Congressional spending legislation. Since 1991, the NTUF project has computed a "net annual agenda" based on each Senator's or Representative's individual sponsorship or co-sponsorship of legislation. This unique approach provides an in-depth look at the fiscal behavior of lawmakers, free from the influence of committees, party leaders, and rules surrounding floor votes. All cost estimates for bills are obtained from third-party sources, Congress Members' offices, or are calculated from neutral data.

The top five senators when it comes to proposing spending reductions:

  • Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) proposed cutting $650 billion;
  • Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) proposed $470.8 billion;
  • Former Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) proposed $463.4 billion;
  • Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) proposed cutting $427.7 billion; and
  • Graham proposed cutting $408.8 billion.

"Our new BillTally analysis shows the electoral response to Washington's record spending trends did stem the flow of budget increases over the past two years," said NTUF Director of Research Demian Brady. "Even though BillTally data can say as much about past Congresses as the most recent one, there's no denying lawmakers' agendas have shifted toward cuts and more moderate spending agendas."

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NOTE:
Additional information on Graham's record in support of spending cuts is available on NTUF's website and Twitter.