Conaway: Need to rein in spending

February 05, 2013, 9:00 pm by Lyn Odom

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway last week discussed spending, balancing the budget, gun control, defense, healthcare and immigration at a Town Hall Meeting at the Llano County Library that drew more than 40 people.

"The next 90 days are going to be eventful and tumultuous and there is a lot in the system that needs to be done,” Conaway said in his opening remarks last Thursday.

He said the Republicans’ position on spending is to get a budget at the end of this process or "the House and Senate don’t get paid. Federal employees, starting with contractors, will be furloughed and without pay. We should not commit to spend it if we are not going to get to spend it.”

Conaway said the August 2011 debt ceiling increase and the $1.2 trillion deficits over the 10-year period do not work and that the steep spending cuts scheduled to begin March 1 are likely unless Democrats and Republicans can agree on an approach.

For more of this story, see Wednesday's The Llano County Journal.