Spending
BENNET VOTED TO PASS OBAMA’S $3.5 TRILLION FY2010 BUDGET
Bennet Voted To Adopt The Conference Report On The $3.5 Trillion FY 2010 Budget Resolution. (S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #173: Adopted 53-43: R 0-40; D 51-3; I 2-0, 4/29/09, Bennet Voted Yea)
- “The U.S. Budget Deficit Last Year Was A Record $1.413 Trillion, 9.9 Percent Of Gross Domestic Product.” (Richard Cowan and Donna Smith, “More Tough Economic Times Forecast By CBO,” Reuters, 8/19/10)
BENNET SAID HE BELIEVED SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS WOULD DRIVE DOWN THE NATIONAL DEBT
In Response To A Question About Reviving The Economy Without Growing The Deficit, Bennet Said “[T]his Is An Extraordinary Time, And We Are Going To Have To Deficit Spend To Get Out Of Where We Are.” INTERVIEWER: “The Congressional Budget Office is estimating the federal deficit will hit $1.2 trillion this year. How are we going to both revive the economy and not grow the deficit?” BENNET: “I’m a huge believer in balanced budgets and in conservative fiscal management. But this is an extraordinary time, and we are going to have to deficit spend to get out of where we are.” (Sara Burnett, “Bennet Kicks Off On-The-Job Training,” Rocky Mountain News, 1/9/09)
“Bennet Said That Spending Federal Dollars Can Drive Down The Growing National Debt.” (Jessica Fender, “Biden Speaks In Denver,” The Denver Post, 5/27/09)
BENNET HAS VOTED TWICE TO RAISE THE FEDERAL DEBT LIMIT
On Christmas Eve 2009, Bennet Voted To Raise The Federal Debt Limit By $290 Billion. “Passage of the bill that would increase the federal debt limit by $290 billion to $12.4 trillion.” (H.R. 4314, CQ Vote #397: Passed (thus cleared for the president) by a vote of 60-39: R 1-38; D 57-1; I 2-0, 12/24/09, Bennet Voted Yea)
Just Over One Month Later, Bennet Voted To Raise The Debt Ceiling By Nearly $2 Trillion. “Passage of the joint resolution that would increase the statutory debt limit by $1.9 trillion to $14.29 trillion. It also would establish a statutory requirement that new tax and mandatory spending legislation be budget neutral, enforced by automatic across-the-board spending cuts in non-exempt programs if the pay-as-you-go tally at the end of the year shows a deficit. It would require the Government Accountability Office to investigate areas with duplicative goals and activities within the government.” (H.J. Res. 45, CQ Vote #14: Agreed To 60-39: R 0-39; D 58-0; I 2-0, 1/28/10, Bennet Voted Yea)
THE NATIONAL DEBT HAS INCREASED BY ROUGHLY $3 TRILLION SINCE BENNET CAME TO WASHINGTON
In January 2009, The National Debt Was $10.6 Trillion. (U.S. Department Of The Treasury’s Bureau Of The Public Debt’s “Debt To The Penny” Website, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 9/11/10)
In September 2010, The National Debt Was Up To $13.4 Trillion. (U.S. Department Of The Treasury’s Bureau Of The Public Debt’s “Debt To The Penny” Website, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 9/11/10)
BENNET NOW EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT HOW THE MEASURES HE SUPPORTED HAVE FAILED
“Michael Bennet, D-Colo, At A Town Hall Meeting In Greeley Last Saturday, Aug 21 Said We Had Nothing To Show For The Debt Incurred By The Stimulus Package And Other Expenditures Calling The Recession The Worst Since The Great Depression.” (Jack Minor, “Bennet Says We Have Nothing To Show For All Of Our Debt, Will Not Commit To Position On Card Check,” The Greeley Gazette, 8/24/10)
“Regarding Spending During His Time In Office He [Bennet] Said, ‘We Have Managed To Acquire $13 Trillion Of Debt On Our Balance Sheet’ And, ‘In My View We Have Nothing To Show For It.’” (Jack Minor, “Bennet Says We Have Nothing To Show For All Of Our Debt, Will Not Commit To Position On Card Check,” The Greeley Gazette, 8/24/10)
“Speaking Of The Debt, He Said Our Debt Almost Equals The Economy.” (Jack Minor, “Bennet Says We Have Nothing To Show For All Of Our Debt, Will Not Commit To Position On Card Check,” The Greeley Gazette, 8/24/10)