AFP’s Stop Overspending Campaign Urges Sen. Tester to Cut Spending, Support Rescission

Jun 19, 2018 by AFP

HELENA, Mont. – Following the House passage of H.R. 3, the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, Americans for Prosperity-Montana (AFP-MT) will start running digital ads urging Sen. Tester to approve the bill that would save taxpayers about $15 billion in unspent funds from previous years.

When debating the “Gang of Six” budget bill in 2011, Sen. Tester released a statement highlighting the need of Montanans to have a bipartisan agreement on the budget proclaiming, “real problems require tough votes, not politics-as-usual excuses.”

Sen. Tester, along with Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation aimed at cutting wasteful spending and “curb Washington’s bad habit of spending other people’s money on exorbitance and waste.”

The digital ads, which targets a large swath of Republican and Democrat senators, is a continuation of AFP’s long-term Stop Overspending campaign. AFP launched a similar effort earlier this month urging House members to support the bill.

AFP-MT State Director David Herbst issued the following statement:

“Reducing our national debt shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Everyone agrees our record national debt threatens our security and our economic standing in the world. Asking for unused funds to be given back to help pay down that debt would be a good first step reversing our bad spending habits that got us in this position.

“Sen. Tester claims he’s worried about the debt and deficits. If that’s the case he should have no problem supporting this a very modest but necessary first step toward getting spending under control. We urge Sen. Tester to do the right thing for Montanans and approve this measure.”

View Sen. Tester’s ad here

While tax reform was a significant achievement for hard-working Americans, AFP has long-advocated the importance of pairing tax cuts with spending restraint to grow the economy and improve the lives of all Americans. Unchecked spending in Washington threatens to undermine economic growth.

AFP’s digital ads encouraging support for rescission will start Tuesday and also focus on Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Dean Heller (R-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Thune (R-SD), Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Democrat Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Doug Jones (D-AL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

The launch of AFP’s “Stop Overspending” campaign over Memorial Day recess included robust digital, direct-mail, print, and radio advertising in congressional districts across the country. President Trump’s $15.3 billion rescission plan proposed earlier this month presents an opportunity for lawmakers to demonstrate fiscal responsibility by supporting this modest attempt to undo some of the overspending damage.

BACKGROUND:

AFP Launches Major Campaign Against Wasteful Government Spending

Stop Overspending Campaign Urges House to Support Rescission

AFP Praises House for Passing Rescission Package