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February 27, 2013

SEQUESTRATION: Congressman Mullin speaks out

Salesha Wilken Staff Reporter

CLAREMORE — Congressman Markwayne Mullin hosted a telephone conference Monday briefing the media about the upcoming sequestration on Friday.

The automatic spending cuts will have an impact on Oklahoma’s Second District.
The Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester is expected to see the loss of approximately 50 jobs, according to Mullin.
The exact numbers as to the direct impact on Oklahomans “are all over the place,” he added.
 “Dysfunction in the federal government and the “us vs. them” mentality has brought us close to the sequestration deadline, Mullin said. “ Resorting to these types of cuts is government at its worst.”
Implemented in 2011 under the Budget Control Act, as what was to be a last resort if all else failed, sequestration is an across the board cut to federal spending. Exempt from cuts are the safety net programs like Social Security, Medicaid, military and civilian retirement, food stamps, most low-income and veteran’s programs, he added.
“Nobody has had the backbone to closely examine which programs are working and which are wasteful so we can responsibly cut spending. Instead, those in Washington are unwilling to make tough decisions so their answer is to cut everyone in an effort to seem fair. That is not good government,” Mullin said.
Mullin addressed other issues including the budget and the inability of Congress to finalize a budget in the past three years.
“The house has passed a budget every year, the Senate however has failed to do so,” Mullin said.
 Mullin said he is working with other members to reform the tax code.
“I don’t know what it will look like, but we are working on it,” Mullin said.
 The tax code needs to have more reform then just closing loopholes, he added.
“We are looking at the tax system to bring it up to speed,” Mullin said.
 

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