In July, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the Republican Study Committee, was made to apologize to party leaders for opposing the debt ceiling deal that created the now-failed super committee.

Photo credit: UPI/Kevin Dietsch

Now that events have proved his opposition to have been well-founded, Rep. Jordan is reminding the public that House Republicans have already passed the Cut, Cap, and Balance plan, along with many other bills proposed and/or passed to balance the budget and generate economic growth at the same time:

Jordan Responds to the Super Committee’s Lack of Agreement

Washington, DC – Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan offered the following statement after the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction failed to come to agreement, triggering $1.2 trillion of automatic spending cuts over a ten year period beginning in 2013:

“Throughout the year, the Republican Study Committee has offered solutions to address the debt crisis, including the Cut, Cap and Balance plan that passed the House with bipartisan support.  But instead of a solution, Washington wanted a deal, and thus the Super Committee was created.”
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Conservatives are gearing up for a showdown on the House floor over an across-the-board spending cut that would trim the federal government by an additional $20 billion this year. The amendment, which will be offered by a member of the Republican Study Committee, would reduce spending on top of the $100 billion in cuts already proposed by GOP leaders.

House Republicans, keeping their promise for an open amendment process, have devoted the entire week to a debate on the fiscal 2011 continuing resolution. With the current spending plan set to expire March 4, Republicans are using the bill to make cuts to discretionary spending.

Hundreds of amendments are expected to be filed, but the RSC’s across-the-board cut stands out as one of the largest.

The move comes after GOP leaders made notable progress last week toward the magic number of $100 billion in non-security discretionary spending cuts as outlined in the Pledge to America. The current proposal includes $81 billion in cuts, plus another $19 billion from security spending. The RSC hopes to achieve a full $100 billion in non-security spending.

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Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a former member of GOP leadership, said Republicans must uphold the promise in their Pledge to America and cut “at least $100 billion in the first year.” His comments came as conservatives continued to lobby leadership to cut a full $100 billion in non-security discretionary spending.

Pressure from the conservative Republican Study Committee prompted House appropriators to head back to the drawing board for additional cuts Thursday. Their latest offer: $84 billion.

That’s still short by $16 billion — a figure under dispute between conservatives and leadership. The official leadership plan includes $16 billion in security cuts, money the RSC maintains should not count toward the $100 billion promise. Conservatives might support those security cuts, but want at last $16 billion more in non-security discretionary spending cut from fiscal 2011.

Pence, a former chairman of RSC who last Congress served as GOP conference chairman, made it clear that Republicans must cut $100 billion — no ifs, ands or buts.

“In the Pledge to America, Republicans said that we would save taxpayers at least $100 billion in the first year,” Pence said on Fox News today. “And what’s going on right now on Capitol Hill are negotiations among Republicans to keep our word and I believe that we will.”

Pence applauded the work of House appropriators, but added bluntly, “House conservatives believe we can do better, we believe we can hit that $100 billion mark, and I think we should.”

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House GOP leaders are lining up behind the conservative Republican Study Committee to support additional spending cuts next week when the 2011 continuing resolution reaches the floor. But even with leadership on board, will it be enough to hit the magic number of 218 votes?

Under a process not seen in years, members will be able to offer amendments to the CR under an “open rule.” Conservatives, lead by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), will offer one that achieves a full $100 billion cut in non-security discretionary spending. Last week GOP leaders put forth a plan that cuts $58 billion from the current fiscal year.

The RSC got a boost yesterday when Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) announced he would vote for additional cuts beyond the GOP’s initial $58 billion proposal. Last week his spokesman singled out the RSC as a group likely to propose additional cuts that Cantor would support.

“There has been a lot of talk on our side that members want to cut even further, and most of us welcome that talk and will be supporting yet even further cuts,” Cantor told reporters yesterday. He later added: “I’m going to be supportive of a lot of the amendments.”

It’s likely that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would support additional cuts, but he has not declared his intentions because members are still drafting amendments.

Other GOP leadership offices have followed Cantor’s lead. Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) and Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) all favor more spending cuts.

That’s good news for the RSC. But it still might not be enough to push the RSC’s $100 billion amendment over the top.

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Republicans have controlled the House for little over a month, but so far the record is clear: The new GOP majority is living up to its promise to cut spending.

In the first four weeks of the 112th Congress, Republicans have passed legislation that cuts spending by $656 billion without a single spending increase.

The conservative Republican Study Committee’s Money Monitor, the only document tracking the cost of bills as they pass the House, has the data. It shows:

• $541 billion in mandatory spending cuts.
• $115 billion in authorized spending cuts (subject to appropriation).
• $770 billion in tax cuts.

Those figures stand in stark contrast to the previous Congress, when the Democrat-controlled House enacted $682 billion of new spending in just the first four weeks.

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The conservative House Republican Study Committee today will unveil a rescission bill that will save $2.5 trillion over 10 years. It’s a bold proposal that returns federal spending to pre-Obama levels, eliminates remaining stimulus money and ends more than 100 specific programs.

Conservatives want their proposal to set the stage for upcoming spending fights over the 2011 continuing resolution, debt ceiling and fiscal 2012 budget. It’s as much a signal to Republican leadership as it is to President Obama that conservatives are committed to courageous ideas.

The proposal comes amid new fears among conservatives that GOP leaders are hedging on their “Pledge to America” campaign promise to cut $100 billion in federal spending by returning to fiscal 2008 levels.

Because the 2011 continuing resolution expires in March — five months into the current fiscal year — there is concern Republicans might reduce the $100 billion figure by prorating it.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, is circulating a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to ensure the GOP keeps its $100 billion promise.

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According to a report from Ohio today, a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has asked the ACORN-tainted Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, to investigation ACORN’s voter registration work in the state.

“U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan has formally asked Ohio’s secretary of state to look into allegations that ACORN had at least a preliminary plan to back Democrat candidates in key Ohio congressional races in 2008.”

The political plan was described in an October article as “having been scaled back,” and of course, ACORN denied any partisan activity.

“But to some, ACORN’s early 13-page plan for the 2008 election reinforces what critics always assumed: The group’s goal was never nonpartisan. The political plan and other ACORN documents show that the group was interested not just in helping presidential candidate Barack Obama, whom it urged its members to support, according to post-election Federal Election Commission reports. ACORN also was interested in Congress and the Ohio Statehouse.

“There’s no question that ACORN strategized to figure out how its election efforts could maximize the benefit for selected Democratic candidates in the most competitive races,” U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa of California told The Plain Dealer. “

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