Press Releases

Rep. Brat (R-Va.) issued the following statement after receiving an "A" rating from the National Taxpayers Union (NTU):

"I am proud to receive the National Taxpayers Union 'Taxpayers' Friend Award.' Standing up for the American taxpayer has been my top priority in Congress, and I am committed to reigning in our out-of-control spending and creating a budget that actually balances.

"We must begin practicing real fiscal restraint and implementing specific spending reductions now, so it will be possible to balance the budget in reality. Congress is breaking its pledge to the American people on the budget caps; we’ve lost fiscal discipline, and we’re throwing it all on the next generation to pay for. It's a disaster, and we need to find the courage to restore fiscal responsibility, opportunity, and security to this great country. I will continue to work towards these objectives, because they are the priority of the American people."

Representative Brat has introduced H.J.Res. 55, a bipartisan Joint Resolution to add a Balanced Budget Amendment to our Constitution. This legislation would require federal expenditures and receipts to be balanced, excluding expenditures for payment of debt and receipts derived from borrowing. This requirement may be met over more than one year to accommodate economic conditions.

"This legislation is absolutely critical to ensuring fiscal responsibility in Congress. We cannot continue to legislate-by-crisis where common sense is thrown out the window," said Rep. Brat.

"Winning the Taxpayers’ Friend award is no easy feat," said Pete Sepp, President of NTU. "It takes a daily commitment to cast principled votes that put the Americans who pay government’s bills first. Representative Brat has proven he has what it takes to help make Washington work for taxpayers again.”

“Representative Brat's pro- taxpayer score of 84 percent was one of the best on all of Capitol Hill," said Sepp. "Through his consistent voting record, Representative Brat showed his colleagues the way to lower deficits, less burdensome taxes, and a stronger economy. If every Member of Congress had voted as conscientiously as Representative Brat did last year, taxpayers could have looked forward to a much more prosperous future,” Sepp concluded.

Rep. Brat has also voted against unnecessary spending in the appropriations process, and has voted against legislation that is fiscally irresponsible.

Rep. Brat was the only Virginian to receive the "Taxpayers' Friend Award." To see how other representatives from Virginia scored, click here.  
                                         

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