REP. KENNEDY: HELP! STOP ME BEFORE I SPEND AGAIN!
08/25/2006
Kennedy’s newest ad makes clear his inability to control his own spending addiction, asks the president for help
(ST. PAUL) 8/25/06 – Today Congressman Mark Kennedy, CPA (Inactive) released another television ad in his campaign to remake his record while running for the U.S. Senate.
“Congressman Kennedy’s latest ad is laughable in its hypocrisy,” said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez. “The line item veto would be a useful tool for the President. But Congress needs to step up, take responsibility and control its own spending. It is time for Congressman Kennedy needs to take some responsibility for controlling the spending he approves and not just pass the buck down Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Since Elected, Kennedy Has Supported Federal Budgets That Have Turned Surplus Into Record Deficits. Since he was elected in 2000, Kennedy has voted for every federal budget. According to the CBO, in Fiscal Year 2000, before Kennedy and Bush took office in January 2001, the Federal budget had a surplus of $236.2 billion. The Washington Post reported that the 2004 Federal Budget deficit of $412.7 billion was “an all-time high in nominal terms.” The CBO recently revised their estimate of the current FY2006 budget deficit to $260 billion. [H Con Res 95, Vote #149, 4/28/05; H Con Res 83, Vote #104, 5/9/01; Democratic Press Conference, 5/9/01; Congressional Record, 5/9/01; H Con Res 353, Vote #79, 3/20/02; H Con Res 95, Vote #141, 4/11/03; S Con Res 95, Vote #198, 5/19/04; HCR 376, Vote #158, 5/18/06; Star Tribune, 1/4/01; New York Times, 1/21/01; CBO, Historical Budget Data, Table 1, (http://www.cbo.gov/budget/historical.pdf); Washington Post, 7/12/06; Congressional Budget Office, ]http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=7470&sequence=0]
Kennedy’s Newest Ad Claims “He is not afraid to cut the pork.” In Kennedy’s newest campaign commercial, the announcer claims Kennedy “is not afraid to cut the pork.” [Kennedy Ad, Aired 8/26/06]
Since 2001, There Have Been 58,652 projects Approved By Congress, Totaling $140.3 Billion In Pork Spending By The Federal Government. Since 2001 there have been a total of 58,652 projects which totaled $140.3 billion in federal funding for pork projects in spending approved by the Congress. Citizens Against Government Waste, identified these pork projects in the appropriations bills that constitute the discretionary portion of the federal budget for the fiscal years since 2001. [Citizens Against Government Waste, ]http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer]
Kennedy Is An “Inactive” CPA – For 2006, Kennedy Renewed His “Inactive Certificate” With The Minnesota Board of Accountancy. In December 2005, Kennedy filed a “2006 Certificate Renewal Form” with the Minnesota Board of Accountancy. Kennedy selected “Inactive Certificate” which required him to complete a “2006 Designation Affidavit.” [Individual Certificate Renewal Form, Kennedy Signed 12/29/05]