Legislation being supported by Democrats and Republicansin Washington has not impressed Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Crapo told reporters in a conference call Wednesday that he’s still examining the compromise, but that he is not likely to support it.
Members of Congress have been in talks to reach an agreement both parties can live with and that would fund the government in 2014 and 2015. Perhaps most important, a deal would avoid another government shutdown in five weeks.
“The positive of the agreement is that it will allow us to avoid a government shutdown,” Crapo says, “[But] it does so in ways that continue us down us the very wrong paths in regards to our fiscal policy.”
Crapo says the compromise doesn’t do enough to curb spending. He says though it won’t raise taxes, but proposed fee increases would have the same effect.
“We are taking more revenue out of the pockets of American citizens and using that revenue to justify increasing the spending so that Congress does not have to control its appetite for spending.”
Crapo thinks the recent government shutdown in Washington will prompt others who don't really like the deal to support it.
“There probably is an increased willingness of members of Congress to consider this proposal because of the damage that came from the last shutdown,” he says. “And because of the fact that our economy is still in a very tenuous state. The shutdown had very significant economic consequences that, if it were to be repeated, could cause even greater damage.”
Crapo says it’s too soon to make a prediction on the deal’s ultimate fate.
“I’m not in a position yet to know whether this can get the sufficient votes in the House and in the Senate,” he says. “I do think it has a better chance than the proposals that were around just a few weeks ago when we had the government shutdown.”
Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio