This morning Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) posted a table on their blog, Friends of ATR, which shows how much your taxes will increase if the Democrat’s proposed $400 billion tax increase goes into effect. In the years following the Democrat’s tax increase, Americans would pay an average of $3,035 more per year than they currently are. The table has the data for each state. Californians will see an increase of $3,331. Follow this link to see how much more you would have to pay:

http://friendsofatr.blogspot.com/2007/03/how-much-more-in-taxes-will-you-be.html

This week, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee and a member of the RSC, recorded the House Republican Radio Address.  You can listen to his critique of the Democrat’s budget by following this link. There are also excerpts below.

http://gop.gov/uploadedfiles/Rep.%20Ryan.mp3

Just in case you thought the conservatives on Capitol Hill were the only ones up in arms over the pork filled appropriations bill meant to fund the war, in an editorial this morning, the Washington Post criticized the bill because of the reckless withdraw provisions and the $20 billion in unrelated spending thrown in the bill.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032201883.html

The legislation pays more heed to a handful of peanut farmers than to the 24 million Iraqis who are living through a maelstrom initiated by the United States, the outcome of which could shape the future of the Middle East for decades.

As it is, House Democrats are pressing a bill that has the endorsement of MoveOn.org but excludes the judgment of the U.S. commanders who would have to execute the retreat the bill mandates. It would heap money on unneedy dairy farmers while provoking a constitutional fight with the White House that could block the funding to equip troops in the field. Democrats who want to force a withdrawal should vote against war appropriations. They should not seek to use pork to buy a majority for an unconditional retreat that the majority does not support.

In addition, to the the article in the Washington Post, I was particularly struck by a report released by the RSC. Among other things, it found that if you took the $219 million allotted in the bill for spinach, peanut storage, and shrimp fishing, and directed it to the troops, it would be the equivalent of providing every soldier in Iraq with an additional $1,425.

• Their budget proposes the largest tax increase in American history - The Democrat's budget calls for a tax increase of every tax bracket, slashes the child tax credit, raises the death tax, and reinstates the marriage penalty. And this is just a sampling, there is more. In all, the Democrat's plan will cost taxpayers over $390 billion in the next 5 years. What is particularly frustrating about this ill-advised action is that the Democrats are blatantly ignoring the economic consequences and fiscal benefits that lower taxes have brought to the treasury the past few years. Revenue has increased in double digits the last two years alone because of the economic expansion encouraged by reduced taxation. This revenue growth has been crucial in reducing the deficit. The Democrats refuse to recognize this, though, and instead they just want to tax us to death. This is a recipe for disaster.
• Their budget proposes massive increases in spending, expansion of government - As highlighted above, revenue is not the problem, out of control spending is the problem. The Democrats, however, don't seem to care. Their singular goal is to spend more and make government bigger. In that spirit, their budget calls for a $42.5 billion increase in non-defense spending this year.  Yikes.
• Their budget proposes no offsets to pay for these increases - Despite these huge increases, the Democrats offer no way to pay for them except by raiding Social Security and raising taxes. This is completely irresponsible. Governing is about making tough decisions and ending governments programs that are ineffective and wasteful -- even if they sound good. Their budget, however, has expansion across the board regardless of effectiveness.  Hardly fiscal responsibility.
• Their budget proposes no fix to the AMT - In spite of their continued talk of fixing this increasingly oppressive tax, they have done nothing and are allowing it to continue to grow and adversely affect more taxpayers.
• Their budget proposes no entitlement reform plan - The Budget Committee has heard testimony from several witnesses warning of the unsustainable growth of entitlement programs likes Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.  Repeated experts have said that if entitlements are not reformed, in the very near future, the budget will either be completely consumed by them or Congress will have to double current tax levels.  Do we really want to saddle our children and grandchildren with our debt? The Democrats apparently do.
• Their budget proposes no accountability standards - With all of these increases in expenditures, the Democrats are conspicuously silent on all the current waste in the federal budget. Instead of making the government more efficient with what it is already operating under, they are just calling for more money. I do not know of one business that operates in such a backward fashion. We need to promote efficiency and accountability -- not just blindly sign away taxpayer dollars to useless government programs.

It is apparent from today that the Democrat's rhetoric during last fall's campaign that they would bring fiscal responsibility to Washington was exactly that -- rhetoric. We need serious reform proposals and decisive leadership, not the tax and spend days of old.

If the proposed spending/tax spree (I mean the Democrat’s budget) and the pork filled war supplemental were not enough to drive you crazy, the Democrats have now announced that they are extending the deadline for members to submit earmark's by two weeks. I guess they just can't get their fix and need more time to figure out how they can spend your money on frivolous pet projects.

What's more, they have also removed the "limitations on the number of requests allowed to be made per Member." This is mind-boggling to me. They have now flung the door wide open for members to cram as many pork projects into spending bills as they can. Despite the clear need for reform and calls for accountability in this process, the Democrats have reneged and the favor factory is once again open for business.

A lot is going on today on Capitol Hill. Along with debate over the budget and the supplemental to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there was a rally led by FreedomWorks chairman and former Majority Leader Dick Armey in support of the "American Taxpayer Bill of Rights." I had a chance to step out of the Budget Committee hearing to speak at this event. Dozens of grass roots supporters from across the country showed up as well as several members of the RSC. The event was a great sign that momentum is building in support of this bold reform agenda.

On the same front, RSC Chairman Jeb Hensarling authored this editorial in today's Wall Street Journal. He makes some great points about the need to support the major fiscal reforms laid out in the "American Taxpayer Bill of Rights." The out of control spending and growing cost of entitlements needs to be resolved. We need genuine reform, and right now all I am seeing proposed by the Democrats is more taxes and more spending. That's not a solution, that's the problem.

Here are some more thoughts from RSC members out in the Blog world talking budget issues…

RSC Chairman Jeb Hensarling of Texas:
"Members of the RSC are working to start a grassroots effort to ensure that leaders in Washington never forget that tax money belongs to the taxpayers, not the government." You can read more at this link.

Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey:
"November hurt, but we got the message loud and clear that fiscal conservatives are alive and well across the country. Wednesday will be the day that voters will see that the Democrats never repented of their tax-and-spend ways and that Republicans are ready to reclaim our rightful place as the party of fiscal responsibility." You can read more at this link.

This just in, but more to come throughout the day.  I’m at the House Budget Committee where we are debating next year’s budget.  The Democrats have just laid out their proposal. It is a complete sham.  They make a lot of expensive promises, but offer no ways to pay for them.  The only guarantee in this budget is that it will lead to the largest tax increase in the history of the United States.

Looking at the supplemental and the budget it is easy to see that the Democrats aren’t even trying to hide that they are still the same tax and spend party they have always been.

Over the next few days, Congress will be considering both the budget for next year and the so-called emergency war supplemental. Both of these bills need to be carefully considered. All indications are that the Democrats in charge of the Budget Committee will be using procedural gimmicks and half truths to increase spending and raise your taxes next year. As a member of the Budget Committee, I will be writing more on this tomorrow and later in the week when the specifics of the bill are released.

The "emergency" war supplemental will probably be voted on this Thursday or Friday. As I mentioned last week, the Democratic leadership has tacked on over $20 billion in completely unrelated spending to the bill in order to buy votes from reluctant members. They have also inserted a minimum wage increase into the bill after they failed to generate the support needed for passage under the normal process.

The RSC has released a very good report titled "Perspectives from the Right," which reveals the extent to which the Democrats have dirtied this bill with special interest handouts. Brian Reidl in the Baltimore-Sun and James Antle in the American Spectator have also written two good articles about the irresponsible practices employed by the Democrats.

Right now, it remains unclear whether the Democrats will be able to muster the votes to pass this turkey...I mean bill. Be sure and check back as the week goes along. The Democrats will be trying to spend a lot of your money this week.

Here are some more links to sites talking about the American Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

Front Burner:
http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2007/03/14/a-new-contract-with-america/
Free Republic:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1801418/posts
Residual Forces:
http://www.residualforces.com/2007/03/14/the-american-taxpayer-bill-of-rights/
M-Rebman:
http://mrebman.info-blogs.com/?p=3280
Republican News Blog:
http://republicannews.info/63-republican-news-march-14-2007-1232-am
Save the GOP:
http://www.savethegop.com/2007/03/13/rsc-unveils-american-taxpayer-bill-of-rights-to-bloggers/
Fausta's Blog:
http://faustasblog.com/2007/03/bloggers-call-on-proposed-american.html
Amidst the Crowd:
http://amidstthecrowd.com/?p=68
Reason Magazine:
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/119118.html
Jason Pye:
http://www.jasonpye.com/blog/2007/03/rsc_unveils_new_fiscal_strateg.html

Here is a little more feedback on what is being said about the American Taxpayer Bill of Rights:

Club for Growth President Pat Toomey:
"We are proud of the work RSC members are doing to protect taxpayers, promote economic growth, and curtail government spending…American taxpayers would be better off if more congressional members followed in their lead." More

Patrick O’Connor from the Politico in an entertaining write up about our press conference yesterday: 
"Rep. Tom Feeney, the always eloquent Florida Republican, followed up that zinger by quoting the 18th Century French philosopher and satirist Voltaire in his own mini-discourse on the fundamental injustice of the Democrats’ fiscal policy."

Rep. Tom Price (R-Georgia) and I both made posts about the proposal on the Hill’s Blog:

Rep. Tom Price of Georgia:
"I think it’s important for us to appreciate that it is time for us to stop finding ways to fund larger government."

My Post
"Known as the 'American Taxpayer Bill of Rights' this proposal will lay the foundation for resolving the fiscal nightmare that is our current budgetary and spending process."

Now, its time to discuss one of those major issues of the week (well at least if you are a sports fan).  I am ready to announce my Final Four picks. And just so that you know I am objective, I have to confess I left off my two alma matters UCLA (Bachelors in Economics) and USC (Masters in Taxation). I would love to see them make it all the way, but I just don't think they will. Just a warning, my knowledge of college hoops is not at the level of my knowledge of fiscal matters. Anyway here are my picks:

Kansas
Georgetown
Florida
Memphis

Last night, I wrote a post showing how the Democrats have thrown over $20 billion in unrelated spending and special handouts to the upcoming war supplemental. Today, I found some more striking information within this 172 page bill that the mainstream media is largely choosing to ignore, but needs to see the light of day.

As you may recall, last January during the Democrats "100 Hour Agenda" they passed a minimum wage increase. Since that time, they have been unable to work with the Senate to get a bill to the President, and it has stalled. So, facing the prospects that this legislation may not go anywhere the Democrats have up and decided to add it to the supplemental. This is nuts. Basically, since the Dems can't get their policy to pass on its face they have resorted to forcing it through in this must-pass legislation. Nevermind the fact that the supplemental is only supposed to be for emergency war spending.

Nancy Pelosi vowed following last fall's election to make "this the most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history." After seeing repeated examples of stuff like this, I would have to disagree. Normal expenditures or policy debates should not be arbitrarily designated as emergencies.

I was pleased to see in the papers this morning that Rob Portman, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, has expressed his opposition to the extra spending included in the war supplemental. He was quoted in Congessional Quarterly as saying "the war supplemental should be focused on combating terrorism and supporting our troops, and not held hostage to unrelated, domestic spending that can be addressed through the normal appropriations process." I hope he carries on this message to the President, and urges a veto if the bill is not clean.

Here’s a collection of what’s being said about the American Taxpayer Bill of Rights:

Stephen Spruiell on National Review:
The Party of Limited Government Returns? House conservatives go grassroots and online.

A Web Memo from the Heritage Foundation:
The Republican Study Committee’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights:  Making Federal Budget Accountability a Reality

Robert Bluey of Robertbluey.com and RedState:
Introducing the American Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Brendan Steinhauser of FreedomWorks:
RSC to announce American Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Fausta:
Bloggers call on the proposed American Taxpayer Bill of Rights (A recap of yesterday’s call with bloggers)

And last but not least….here is an editorial I penned in today’s edition of the OC Register: