Third District Congressional candidate Weston Wamp said today that a new scorecard that tracks votes on amendments that cut spending "shows that Congressman Chuck Fleischmann is not serious about attacking the biggest challenge facing America."

 

“Out of control spending is the reason for the outrageous and dangerous national debt in America, and Mr. Fleischmann’s record shows that his walk does not line up with his talk,” said Mr. Wamp. “When he had a chance to make a difference and cut spending, he couldn’t pull the trigger.

So much for the proven conservative.”

 

He said according to a new scorecard from the Club for Growth that tracks votes on amendments to cut spending on fiscal year 2013 House appropriations bills and use the savings for deficit reduction, Rep. Fleischmann "has voted in support of only 11 of 25 spending cut amendments, or 44 percent. Fleischmann has the worst record of all seven Republican members of the Tennessee Delegation, and 150 members of the Republican majority in the House have higher percentages than Fleischmann. Twenty Republicans voted for all the spending cuts. The amendments represent potentially billions of dollars of cuts that could go toward reducing the national debt."

 

Mr. Wamp said, “This new scorecard is straight forward and Mr. Fleischmann’s constituents need to know that he is not serious about cutting spending and reducing the national debt that threatens our very existence,” said Wamp. “He represents the status quo in Washington, and it’s time for something different.”

 

"Amazingly, Mr. Fleischmann was among the Republicans who failed to pass an amendment that called for a .27 percent across the board cut in discretionary spending on an Energy and Water appropriations bill.

 

“Our current congressman couldn’t find the willpower to cut less than one third of one percent of a bill about discretionary spending. That’s simply amazing.”                                               

Club for Growth is described as "a national network of thousands of pro-growth Americans, from all walks of life, who believe that prosperity and opportunity come through economic freedom. Club for Growth works to promote public policies that encourage a high growth economy and a swift return to America's founding principles primarily through legislative involvement, issue advocacy, research, training and educational activity." (www.clubforgrowth.com)

 

The executive summary of the spending cuts scorecard is here:

 

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/projects/?subSec=42&id=1097

 

Mr. Wamp said, "Here is a list of spending cuts amendments that Mr. Fleischmann refused to support."

·         House Vote 204 - McClintock, R-Calif., amendment would cut spending for the International Trade Administration by $277.8 million in the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill. The amendment failed, 121-287.

 

·         House Vote 217 - Flake, R-Ariz., amendment would cut spending for the National Science Foundation by $1.2 billion in the CJS appropriations bill.  The amendment failed, 121-291.

 

·         House Vote 218 - Westmoreland, R-Ga., amendment would cut spending for the Legal Services Corporation by $128 million in the CJS appropriations bill. The amendment failed, 165-246.

 

·         House Vote 219 - Scott, R-Ga., amendment would eliminate all funding provided in the CJS appropriations bill for the Legal Services Corporation. The amendment failed, 122-289.

 

·         House Vote 310 - Chaffetz, R-Utah, amendment would cut spending for energy efficiency and renewable energy activities by $74 million in the Energy & Water (E&W) appropriations bill. The amendment failed, 140-245.

 

·         House Vote 311 - McClintock, R-Calif., amendment would eliminate all funding provided in the E&W appropriations bill for renewable energy programs. The amendment failed, 113-275.

 

·         House Vote 315 - McClintock, R-Calif., amendment would cut spending for nuclear energy activities by $514 million in the E&W appropriations bill. The amendment failed, 106-281.

 

·         House Vote 317 - McClintock, R-Calif., amendment that would eliminate all funding in the E&W appropriations bill for fossil fuel programs. The amendment failed, 138-249.

·         House Vote 329 - Burgess, R-Texas, amendment would cut spending for defense nuclear nonproliferation activities by $100 million in the E&W appropriations bill. The amendment failed, 168-249.

 

·         House Vote 334 - Chabot, R-Ohio, amendment would eliminate all funding in the E&W appropriations bill for the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, Denali

Commission, Northern Border Regional Commission and Southeast Crescent Regional Commission. The amendment failed, 141-276.

 

·         House Vote 335 - Blackburn, R-Tenn., amendment would make an across-the-board cut of 1 percent in the E&W appropriations discretionary spending. The amendment failed, 157-261.

 

·         House Vote 336 - Mulvaney, R-S.C., amendment would cut spending in the E&W appropriations bill by 24 percent, with some exceptions. The amendment failed, 125-293.

 

·         House Vote 337 - Flake, R-Ariz., amendment would make an across-the-board reduction of 0.27 percent in the E&W appropriations bill's discretionary spending. The amendment failed, 144-274.

 

·         House Vote 368 - Polis, D-Colo., amendment would make an across-the-board reduction of 2 percent in the DHS appropriations bill's discretionary spending, with some exceptions. The amendment failed, 99-316.