Senator Coons calls for cuts to Congressional office budgets

Senator Coons today sent a letter to Senators Ben Nelson and John Hoeven urging them to cut the budgets for all Congressional offices for the remainder of 2011. Senators Nelson and Hoeven serve as the Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate’s Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, which oversees Congress’s annual operating budget.

When Chris was New Castle County Executive, and the county budget felt the economic squeeze, he cut his own pay first and asked county officers to cut theirs too. That measure saved the county $130 million and helped achieve a balanced budget. Chris believes that Congress should share the sacrifice of making cuts to reduce our deficit, and that is why he is calling on Senators Nelson and Hoeven to reduce the amount spent on congressional offices and staff. 

In his letter, Chris explained the importance of asking members of Congress and their staffs to share the burden of deficit reduction measures. He wrote:

“While we work to bolster our economic recovery, we also have a responsibility to reduce deficits and take steps to lower our national debt. This will require spending restraint across government and, regrettably, painful cuts to important programs. We in Congress must do our part, too, by accepting cuts to our administrative budgets. Though the savings from these cuts will not solve our fiscal problems, it is important for Congress to lead by example and share in the sacrifices we will ask families in Delaware and across the country to make.”

Understanding the important work performed by hardworking congressional staff and their commitment to public service, Chris stated his believe that they will certainly accept that, during these difficult economic times, everyone has to pitch in and do what is necessary to get our fiscal house in order.