Pence: ‘Freeze Federal Spending Immediately’

Gerrit Lansing /

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Washington – Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, railed against government spending and lack of transparency at the Conservative Bloggers’ Briefing today at the Heritage Foundation.

“We think it’s time the Democrats put our money where their mouth is,” he said. We’re advocating that congress freeze all federal spending immediately.”

The Congressman spent the last week at townhall meetings throughout Indiana, drawing hundreds more people than he usually gets wherever he went. “The American people get it,” he said. “House Republicans get it. Enough is enough. After this long littany of banking bailouts and automitive bailouts, stimulus bills, and now tomorrow’s [$410 Billion omnibus budget] bill, I think the American people want to see this government hit the brakes and begin to practice fiscal discipline.”

Pence also had strong words on the way the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats handled the passage of the Stimulus Bill, saying there were only twelve hours to pass the largest spending bill in American history.

“The American people want their government to operate in broad daylight,” he said, going on to say that the promises President Obama campaigned on and the reality of his actions have galvanized his colleagues. “The issue of transparency is an issue that we’re going to continue to hammer in the next two years.”

“I can tell you this: this is a new House Republican party. And the other side better get used to it.”