“We can’t keep running this Country on a credit card” |
Washington, D.C.—Congressman Jason Chaffetz today introduced a new caucus aimed at eliminating wasteful government programs. The caucus, which Congressman Chaffetz co-chairs with Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas, is called the Sunset Caucus, in reference to the idea that wasteful government programs should be “sunset,” or eliminated.
“We are 1.8 trillion dollars in debt and digging deeper every day. We simply cannot keep running the country on a credit card,” Chaffetz said.
Members of the caucus must agree to champion, through legislation, the elimination of at least one federal program. “With the federal government operating more than 240 education programs, 342 economic development programs, and 71 business support programs it will not be hard to find wasteful and duplicative programs that government has no business spending taxpayer dollar on,” said Chaffetz.
“The President has made clear that he wants to ‘eliminate those programs we don't need and insist that those that we do need operate in a sensible, cost-effective way.’ With this caucus we are doing our part to support him in this endeavor, and look forward to introducing legislation that matches the President’s rhetoric on this issue,” said Chaffetz.
Congressman Chaffetz will begin by working to eliminate the below three programs:
1. Federal Subsidies for Mohair: $1 million
Farm subsidy programs have been called the dinosaurs of federal programs by the Government Accountability Office because they should have been terminated years ago. They benefit only a very small group of individuals, yet cost taxpayers millions annually.
Mohair subsidies were originally authorized to help hold down the cost of military uniforms, but the Army and Navy have not used mohair in their uniforms since the Korean War.
The 2002 farm bill expanded eligibility for marketing loans to producers of a variety of items, including mohair. Removing mohair from this list will save taxpayers $1 million dollars annually.
2. Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund: $30 million
Established in 1963 at the urging of President Kennedy, the Land and Water Conservation Fund provides grants to states and local governments to acquire new land and make improvements in their own parks. State and local government should be responsible for maintaining their own parks. Refocusing federal resources on federal parks would save taxpayers the $30 million allocated for these grants in next year’s budget and $150 million over five years.
3. International Fund for Ireland: $14 million
The International Fund for Ireland is an independent international organization established in 1986 by the British and Irish governments with the objectives of promoting “economic and social advance and to encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout Ireland.”
Regardless of the worthiness of that goal, we should not be using U.S. taxpayer dollars to a help solve the internal problems of a wealthy country such as Ireland. Ireland should be responsible for solving its own problems.
