RESPONSE FROM U.S. SENATOR RAND PAUL ON SURVEY#8

June 17, 2011

Dear Mr. Wells,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the need to cut spending in Washington, D.C. I appreciate hearing your thoughts concerning this matter.

The size of the national debt has grown considerably over the past few years, and we have seen currencies and countries fall under their unsustainable debt. Unless we consider making cuts to every major piece of legislation, we will not come close to balancing the budget. Therefore, I voted against the most recent short-term continuing resolution for the same reason I voted against the last one and the one before that - because it does not set us on a path to fixing the spending and debt problems our country is facing. As I have said before, there is not much of a difference between a $1.5 trillion deficit and a $1.6 trillion deficit - both will lead us to a debt crisis from which we may not recover.

I have introduced a number of proposals to address this crisis immediately, as Congress cannot continue to delay action on the very real problems facing our nation. On the first day I could introduce a bill in the 112th Congress, I proposed S. 162, which would cut $500 billion from the federal budget within one year. Next, I introduced Senate Joint Resolution 5, along with Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), which calls for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, with specific spending limitations and protections against tax increases. Then, on Mar. 17, 2011, I unveiled a five-year balanced budget plan that would bring spending near the historical average in its first year, repeal Obamacare, and reduce spending by nearly $4 trillion relative to the President's budget.

Again, thank you for contacting me regarding our nation's fiscal crisis. Rest assured that as I serve in the United State Senate, I will continue to introduce and support legislation that will return our nation to sound financial footing.

Sincerely,

Rand Paul, MD
United States Senator