Speeches and Floor Statements

WCLO's Jon Meerdink reports.

Jon Meerdink: Janesville Congressman Paul Ryan does not love the fiscal cliff deal. While he is glad most people were able to avoid a tax increase, the recent deal did not cut as much spending as he would like.

Congressman Paul Ryan: The big thing that I do not like about it is without spending cuts any new tax revenue just goes to more spending and it does not have spending cuts.

Jon Meerdink: Without the cuts Ryan believes that tax increases alone will not be able to shore up the nation’s spending deficit.

Congressman Paul Ryan: When you raise the top tax rate, people like to think it is just Aaron Rogers or the rich guy on a yacht; it hits those successful small businesses, it hits those businesses that are in our industrial parks that have 50-200 employees and that makes it harder for them to compete.

Jon Meerdink: According to Ryan, the United States is collecting more than enough tax revenue but spending is also increasing at an alarming rate.

Congressman Paul Ryan: Revenues are still growing faster than the economy grows; that’s not the problem. The problem is that spending growth is outstripping everything.

Jon Meerdink: Ryan says the possibility remains of preserving current retirement and entitlement programs in the states but spending cuts do have to take place.

Congressman Paul Ryan: We can still, at this moment, prevent any change in your life but you have to reform these programs for those of us who are younger so that they are affordable. You have to reform these programs so that they prevent our debt from getting out of control and sparking a debt crisis under which everybody gets cut, even current seniors.

Jon Meerdink: But if spending is not reformed Ryan says the country runs the risk of long term financial disaster.

Congressman Paul Ryan: We are guaranteeing that our children will inherit a debt they cannot survive and we are hurting our economy today because we are showing that we are going down the path that Europe is going. That brings a recession; that brings problems. That is why we have to stand our ground at some point and get an agreement to reduce spending.

Jon Meerdink: The Wisconsin Representative says he and several other Republican lawmakers are working on budget proposals that could revamp both taxes and spending on the federal level.

http://wclo.com/podcasts/wclo-news-features/2013/jan/10/ryan-wants-more-cuts/