The Tea Party Express says Senate Republicans have forgotten the 2010 election results and the lessons they should have learned from them. Before the two month extension on the Payroll Tax Cut came to the House or Representatives, Tea Party Express urged House Republicans to oppose it.
Tea Party Express Chief Strategist, Sal Russo, says that business-as-usual, and continued spending by the White House and Congress is irresponsible. Russo says this just prolongs economic uncertainty, because it does not address the fundamental problem of Washington’s out-of-control spending.
Earlier, Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin expressed what he said was “distress” over the Tea Party pressuring Republicans to not pass the legislation. See Holdup On Bipartisan Tax Cut Agreement Draws Criticism By Congressman Jim Langevin
The White House, Senate, Congress, Tea Party and other political groups, all have such different agendas and different priorities, that agreement on anything will be difficult.
From all that has been said in the past few weeks, it seems there was agreement on supporting citizens and businesses. The sticking points are spending, which the Tea Party says is out of control, and the positioning that appears to set up “the opposition” for failure.
Tea Party Express strategist Russo says “The goal of Senator Harry Reid is to again out-maneuver House Republicans by trying to ram through legislation at the last second that only positions Democrats to continue to spend without heeding the message from the 2010 elections. While we always support letting taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money, there must be corresponding spending cuts that bring down the cost of government and our outlandish deficit.
“Senate Republicans who have criticized House Republicans for standing up for taxpayers should be cognizant that Americans want fiscal responsibility in Washington. They are sick and tired of more deals that make for fancy press releases, but do nothing to reign in the out-of-control growth and spending of the federal government.
“It is disappointing to see Republican Senators Scott Brown (R-Mass), Dean Heller (R-Nev) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind) blame House Republicans when it is their capitulation to Harry Reid that has caused the current crisis.
Tea Party Express is so unhappy with Senator Dick Lugar, that it is endorsing Indiana State Treasurer, Richard Mourdock, in the Republican Primary for U.S. Senate against Lugar.