Joe Wilson

The talk in Washington right now, as I’m sure you’re aware, is passing the federal budget. With continuing resolution after continuing resolution, the Congress and President Obama have allocated money to keep the government running. My fellow House Republicans and I have fought hard to win budget cuts in these resolutions, but our efforts to nail down a budget for the next year have been rebuffed at every advance.

Republicans won a majority in the House not because we said we’d waffle on our principles, but because we said we’d stick to them, and hold the Democrats accountable for out-of-control spending and growing government. Now, liberals are calling for us to backtrack in order to create a compromise to pass a new budget. I will not, and I hope my colleagues will not, go along with that request.

As the saying goes, elections have consequences. A wave of conservatives were elected to Congress last year with a mandate to put conservative principles into action. If Democrats want to craft a compromise appropriations bill, we’re ready to talk. But, we won a mandate from the American people and it’s not an unreasonable offer for the Democrats to make that compromise on conservative grounds.

During the debate over the budget, the Democrats and the President have not be negotiating in good faith. They appear to be encouraging a shutdown, hoping it will help their side like after the 1995 shutdown. Shutting down the government needs to be avoided because there are a lot of innocent people who will be affected. All the same, conservatives cannot capitulate to the liberals just to keep the lights on.

Please get in touch with Republican members and tell them to hold fast, and contact Congressional Democrats to tell them to return to the table and produce a budget that the American people need. You can also visit my Facebook page now and let me know your thoughts on this matter.

Sincerely,

Joe Wilson
U.S. Congressman

P.S. To view my interview with ABC News, please click here.