DeMint: Federal Government Has To Do Less, Not More

From The American Spectator:

DeMint: "Federal Government Has To Do Less, Not More"


by Jason Mattera



01/05/2011







Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) isn't warming up to the idea of running for president in 2012, although he did opine on the major qualification that GOP candidate must have: brutal honesty.



"The next president needs to tell Americans the truth that the federal government has to do less rather than more," he said in the third installment of his interview with HUMAN EVENTS. "And it’s going to take a real persuasive Republican to get up there and say, 'I'm not making you any promises. The country is broke.'"



With the 112th Congress being sworn in today, DeMint advises his new colleagues not to fall into the trap of earmarking money to fund local projects, otherwise known as pork-barrel spending.







“We need to focus on the big issues, like, how do we fix our tax code? How do we fix Social Security; how do we repeal ObamaCare and come up with a health-care system that really works? How do we devolve education and transportation back to the states?



"These freshmen need to help us focus on big issues, and not try to focus on parochial issues."



He also touched on a very important issue that Republicans must fix: How the Congressional Budget Office scores tax cuts. That allegedly nonpartisan office tallies up any type of tax cut as a spending measure, which puts Republicans at a fundamental disadvantage each time a tax debate rolls around. (Example: These Bush tax cuts will cost $700 billion! Why do you want to deprive toddlers of an education, a meal, a cot, and Justin Bieber tickets! You awful human being!)



"You almost have to laugh that letting Americans just keep their own money is a spending issue for Washington," said DeMint. "Most of us as Republicans don’t feel like a tax cut is something we need to pay for here in Washington."







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Mr. Mattera is the editor of HUMAN EVENTS and the author of Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation (Simon & Schuster). He also hosts The Jason Mattera Show on News Talk Radio 77WABC. Previously, he was the Spokesman for Young America's Foundation and a TV correspondent for Michelle Malkin. Follow Jason on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.