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Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) gives her take on the Republican’s tactics in the fiscal cliff talks, and what she would like to see reformed as far as...
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Gonna turn our attention on the sad -- back to the fiscal cliff because as we move closer and closer to it.
You don't expect to find anyone on -- -- making any big decisions this weekend since both the house and the senate are on recess until Monday.
Republican congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee joins us now from Nashville she's gonna talk about.
Where we stand on all of this and congresswoman thank you for joining us.
You certainly have your credentials when it comes to fiscal responsibility I was doing a little background on -- and I see that you are champion you're known.
As L-1 of the heroes of the Tennessee tax -- the year 2000.
But I -- SE question that almost -- suspected 2002003.
Actually could you were quoted recently as saying.
We did not -- here with our fiscal problems overnight decades in the making it took decades to make them in 2003.
When congress passed and the bush tax cuts.
Why did -- why did they what did you guys sunset these for 2010 why not just have made them permanent at that point we would have avoided this mess.
Adamant that is said that is a great question and their Minneapolis that want to make tax reductions permanent.
And spending temper prairie and you craps did days extensions if you will are -- dot -- NN manner said that it fits within the budget window with and quiet duck Congressional Budget Office gives you annual guess the term used.
About baseline budgeting and getting static scoring and our dynamic scoring in this is one Minneapolis -- -- to do a couple of things number one estimate is.
-- dynamic scoring so that the changes in tax policy.
Actually are reflected.
When you are doing your numbers and that current and out years.
And also admitting to it change your budget cycle so because it's so -- And I want to -- I get back to that the reason I'm asking that question is we have to believe numbers I don't -- -- get in the Democrats Republicans Republicans Democrats right 2003.
Were it was congress told that this we would not be in deficit kinda situation that we face now given the cuts because what Democrats are saying -- If we've never done that we wouldn't be in this situation what Republicans are saying -- it's the spending we would have been in this situation.
What it what what were you guys being told as far as we can do this and don't worry going forward because now they Santa and we got to believe -- not.
Right and I think it should not we can do this I don't worry at what EDS is we know with -- bit -- you clean up the tax code if you.
Ring reduce what the tax burden yes that tax liability as.
On individuals and small businesses and -- start businesses.
If you allow for more capital investment in you're going to see a more robust economy.
And that is -- that's pretty much together and so what our goal was to reduce the burden and that's the right adult male.
While we should have done in what some of -- have tried to do I do across the board spending cuts every -- here.
Is -- as you reduce the burden of taxation you have to reduce -- spending.
And that is where.
The government gets into a pickle if you will because.
You have discretionary spending just about a third of a budget you go in every year and work on that but you also have your trust funds which are Medicare and Social Security.
And you have that your entitlement spending and I get a town hall last night.
With a few thousand have been my constituents and then -- -- a budget school this morning.
-- with about sixty constituents and everybody continues to say.
What we wanna do -- to -- what the federal government is -- we want some thoughtful.
Planning placed on entitlements.
We would like to see stabilization.
In securitization.
-- -- your Medicare and Social Security.
Programs and it then you have to have a tax policy -- still in the makes understood it up hundreds.
I a lot of us wanna clean up congresswoman Blackburn I apologize that we're at a time is I would love to have talked to you about what Michael strain from the American Enterprise Institute is saying -- Republicans should let the president raise taxes call the bluff and say okay.
You still gotta cut one trillion in spending every year.
Congresswoman it's a pleasure to have -- appreciate -- -- -- -- ever get to that discussion by half.
