Rep. Justin Amash: Any Sequester Deal Must Cut at Least as Much Spending, with No Tax Hike

Yesterday, Reason TV sat down with Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), the firebrand libertarian congressman whose dedication to reducing the size, scope, and spending has earned him the ire not just of Democratic rivals but of Republican colleagues. Indeed, Amash was bounced from committee postings by GOP higher-ups for his consistent opposition to anything that smacks of big government (go here for more info).

When it comes to the sequester, Amash tells Reason that any deal to avoid automatic spending cuts on March 1 should reduce federal spending by at least $85 billion and that under no circumstances should taxes be raised. Amash says that as far as he knows, there are no talks going on between GOP leadership and the president to avert the sequester.

This is part of a longer interview with the man considered the likely heir to retired Rep. Ron Paul's role as the most libertarian member of the House of Representatives. Check back soon for the full conversation.

About two minutes. Interview by Nick Gillespie. Camera by Meredith Bragg, Todd Krainin, and Amanda Winkler, who also edited the piece.

Read Reason's coverage of Amash.

Comments

[Pro Libertate]

This is correct. Spending must be cut. Over and over again until we operate within our means. Which, incidentally, should be at a much lower amount, too.

[Warty]

I've been working on a pithy new phrase to express this sentiment. How do you like, "Excuse me sir, could we please reduce spending by some amount in the future, please?"

[Generic Stranger]

I don't know...I think "Go fornicate with thyself, eliminate profligacy" is more pithy.

[Pro Libertate]

Non, te pedicabo, incide sumptibus.

[The Heresiarch]

"Not, I shall fuck you, cut by means of extravagance"? People called the Romans they go to the house?

I recommend "Sumptus, scelerate, publici minuendi!"

[CE]

I love all the headlines "On the Brink of the Sequester....", as if a 2-percent cut from planned spending is an impending disaster.

[BarryD]

...especially ironic since most of the "99%", at least those who still have jobs, saw a 2% cut, off the top of their paychecks, just a few weeks ago.

[Pro Libertate]

I remember the moment of the Great Sequester of 2013. It is etched in my mind forever.

[Eduard van Haalen]

This Amash guy sounds like an extremist, if he supports the same level of cuts as in that bill Obama already signed.

[Romulus Augustus]

Our Glorious Leader says 750,000 jobs will be lost if sequestration goes through. So, doing the math, he could eliminate unemployment by adding $1.13 trillion to annual Federal spending. Why doesn't he?
Does he hate the unemployed? [I think not because his policies create so many of them.] Surely, if we can become prosperous by moving money from one pocket to another, then let's move $4 trillion a year instead of $3 trillion if it will cure unemployment.

[Eduard van Haalen]

These sequester cuts have already passed both houses and gotten signed by the President. But they still feel free to criticize the cuts they voted for/signed because they never thought in terms of the sequester ever coming into effect. Instead, it was supposed to be a prop for annual Kabuki*-style budget "negotiations."

*And I'm very sorry for insulting the hard-working entertainers in the Kabuki business, who in reality never stoop to anything as degrading as what Congress and the President does.

[Episiarch]

I'm so sick of this bullshit. The absolute shitstorm freakout that accompanies even the whisper of a thought of reducing spending is so fucking stupid that I just want the entire fucking system to collapse so the parasites and their enablers will just shut the fuck up already. And possibly die.

[Kyfho Myoba]

No-o-o-o-o-ot gonna happen. When the end of April rolls around and the tax receipts are, well, less than hoped for, you're going to see the S really HTF. Get your gold and silver NOW. And some extra ammo.

[Kyfho Myoba]

And a whole lotta dried food/MREs.

[Kyfho Myoba]

And a water filtration system.

[Kyfho Myoba]

And extra fuel for your vehicle.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

If the preppers turn out to be right I'm going to be pissed.

[Greg]

Deficit shmeficit, there are way more important problems

http://news.yahoo.com/why-debt.....19004.html

Good God, the stupid.... it burns