by Sam Adkisson
With the United States’ national debt continuing to increase at an alarming rate, the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) issued a report looking at the biggest spenders and savers in the United States House of Representatives and Senate. The study calculates the legislative spending agenda of each Member of Congress based upon the total costs and savings of all of the bills the individual sponsored or cosponsored during the First Session of the 112th Congress.
According to the report:
Members are introducing more savings bills than they have in recent years and sponsoring larger agendas to cut spending. However, there is still a sizable contingent of Members advocating higher spending on another round of “economic stimulus” and on an even more extensive overhaul of the health care system than was enacted in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Yet how did Illinois’ Congressional delegation fair? Unfortunately, Illinois had the 4th biggest spender in the House and the 8th biggest spender in the Senate.
Rep. Jesse Jackson, according to NTUF, sponsored or cosponsored bills which would have increased spending a combined $1.396 trillion. This made him the 4th biggest spender in the House of Representatives.
Sen. Durbin, the 8th biggest spender in the Senate, sponsored or cosponsored a net increase of $27.1 billion in spending.
Overall, the Illinois delegation to the House of Representatives sponsored an average of $308.5 billion in spending increases, which was the 9th largest in the House.For more information, read NTUF’s full report here.
