These questions are culled from phone calls, letters, faxes and e-mails sent to Rep. Gallegly's Thousand Oaks, Solvang, and Washington offices. Each week Rep. Gallegly adds another question and answer. Please add your comments.
Week ending January 14, 2011
Question: With the new Congress in session, what are you doing to rein in spending and get our record deficit under control?
Answer: On Thursday, January 6, the second day of the 112th Congress, the House of Representatives, with my support, took the first step to cut spending by approving a 5 percent cut to every Congressional office budget.
The 5 percent budget cut will apply to every congressional office and all committees and leadership allowances. The cut will save taxpayers up to $35 million in 2011.
Congress must impose real spending cuts to get our nation back onto a sustainable and responsible budget path and create jobs, and I can assure you that cutting spending within Congress is only the first installment of an ongoing effort to rein in our record national deficit.
I have also signed on again as a cosponsor of legislation proposing a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment would prohibit outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless Congress, by a three-fifths vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.
For more information on my positions on economic issues, please see my Economy issues page.
For previous Questions of the Week chronologically and by topic, please see my Questions of the Week page.
