George Allen on Budget & Economy Republican Senate Challenger

FactCheck: Vvoted against the Alaskan Bridge to Nowhere

Allen has said before that he took a stand against the now infamous earmark for a $225 million bridge connecting the city of Ketchikan, Alaska to the Island of Gravina, which has 50 residents.

In July 2005, Allen voted for a $286.5 billion transportation bill that included money for the Bridge to Nowhere. But funding for the Alaska bridge came to less than one tenth of 1% of the overall cost of that overall highway bill, which passed by a 91-4 vote.

The bridge came up again later that year. Allen supported an amendment to another transportation appropriations bill that would redirect part of the funding for the Alaskan span to rebuild a hurricane-damaged bridge near New Orleans. The amendment failed by an 82-15 vote. We rated Allen's claim that he was among a small minority who voted against the Alaskan bridge True.

No future debt-limit increases until spending is restrained

Stimulus spending failed to create promised jobs

Authored Balanced Budget Amendment plus lower taxes

Voted YES on $40B in reduced federal overall spending.

Demand a Balanced Budget amendment.

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.

Limit federal spending growth to per-capita inflation rate.

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.

Supports the Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge.

[The Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge is sponsored by a coalition of several hundred Tea Party, limited-government, and conservative organizations].

Despite our nation's staggering $14.4 trillion debt, there are many Members of the U.S. House and Senate who want to raise our nation's debt limit without making permanent reforms in our fiscal policies. We believe that this is a fiscally irresponsible position that would place America on the Road to Ruin. At the same time, we believe that the current debate over raising the debt limit provides a historic opportunity to focus public attention, and then public policy, on a path to a balanced budget and paying down our debt.

We believe that the "Cut, Cap, Balance" plan for substantial spending cuts in FY 2012, a statutory spending cap, and Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution is the minimum necessary precondition to raising the debt limit. The ultimate goal is to get us back to a point where increases in the debt limit are no longer necessary. If you agree, take the Cut, Cap, Balance Pledge!

I pledge to urge my Senators and Member of the House of Representatives to oppose any debt limit increase unless all three of the following conditions have been met:
1. Cut: Substantial cuts in spending that will reduce the deficit next year and thereafter.
2. Cap: Enforceable spending caps that will put federal spending on a path to a balanced budget.
3. Balance: Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- but only if it includes both a spending limitation and a super-majority for raising taxes, in addition to balancing revenues and expenses.