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Robert Pittenger on Budget & Economy
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Voted YES on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached.
Congressional Summary:Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, in addition to any other authority provided by law, to issue obligations to pay with legal tender, and solely for the purpose of paying, the principal and interest on U.S. obligations held by the public, or held by the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and Disability Insurance Trust Fund, in the event that the federal debt reaches the statutory limit after enactment of this Act. Prohibits the issued obligations from being taken into account in applying the current $16.394 trillion public debt limit to the extent that they would otherwise cause such limit to be exceeded. Opponent's Argument for voting No:Rep. MAFFEI: The American people want us to work together--Republicans and Democrats--to reduce our debt, pay our bills, and avoid an economic catastrophe, which would result from default. This legislation presumes it will happen and maps out not if but what happens when the
United States defaults. Their plan ensures that foreign creditors such as China, Japan, and OPEC countries Iran and Saudi Arabia would continue to get paid while we halt other payments to groups of Americans who have earned those benefits. This bill prioritizes Chinese lenders ahead of American seniors and veterans and college students. That's why it's called the Pay China First Act.
White House statement in opposition:American families do not get to choose which bills to pay and which ones not to pay, and the United States Congress cannot either without putting the nation into default for the first time in its history. This bill would threaten the full faith and credit of the United States, cost American jobs, hurt businesses of all sizes and do damage to the economy. It would cause the nation to default on payments for Medicare, veterans, national security and many other critical priorities. This legislation is unwise, unworkable, and unacceptably risky."
Reference: Full Faith and Credit Act;
Bill H R 807
; vote number 13-HV807
on May 9, 2013
Demand a Balanced Budget amendment.
Pittenger signed the Contract From America
The Contract from America, clause 3. Demand a Balanced Budget:
Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax hike.
Source: The Contract From America 10-CFA03 on Jul 8, 2010
Limit federal spending growth to per-capita inflation rate.
Pittenger signed the Contract From America
The Contract from America, clause 6. End Runaway Government Spending:
Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth.
Source: The Contract From America 10-CFA06 on Jul 8, 2010
Opposes federal stimulus spending.
Pittenger opposes the PVS survey question on federal stimulus
Project Vote Smart infers candidate issue stances on key topics by summarizing public speeches and public statements. Congressional candidates are given the opportunity to respond in detail; about 11% did so in the 2012 races.
Project Vote Smart summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Economy: Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?'
Source: Project Vote Smart 12-PVS-qBE on Aug 30, 2012
Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans.
Pittenger co-sponsored Federal Reserve Transparency Act
The Federal Reserve Transparency Act directs:
- the completion, within 12 months, the audit of the Federal Reserve System and of the Federal Reserve Banks; with a detailed report of audit findings and conclusions.
- Audit and report on the loan files of homeowners in foreclosure in 2009 or 2010, required as part of the enforcement actions taken by the Federal Reserve against supervised financial institutions.
- Prescribes audit contents, including:
- the guidance given by the Federal Reserve to independent consultants retained by the supervised financial institutions regarding procedures to be followed in conducting the file reviews,
- the factors considered by independent consultants when evaluating loan files and the results obtained pursuant to those reviews, and
- the determinations made by such consultants regarding the nature and extent of financial injury sustained by each homeowner as well as the level and type of remediation offered.
Source: H.R.24&S.209 13-HR0024 on Jan 3, 2013
Prioritize critical spending in case debt limit reached.
Pittenger co-sponsored Prioritize Spending Act
The Prioritize Spending Act requires amounts necessary for incurred federal obligations, in the event that the public debt reaches the statutory limit, to be made available to certain obligations, in prioritized order, before all other obligations. Prioritizes such obligations in the following descending order:
- amounts necessary to carry out the authority of the Department of the Treasury to pay with legal tender the principal and interest on public debt;
- amounts to provide pay to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, including their active reserve components;
- amounts certified as necessary to carry out vital national security priorities;
- amounts necessary to carry out Social Security monthly old-age, survivors', and disability insurance benefits; and
- amounts necessary to make payments under the Medicare program.
Source: H.R.149 13-HR0149 on Jan 3, 2013
Page last updated: Mar 01, 2016