Perry: I wouldn't honor "trigger" spending cuts

JACKSON, MISS. - As president, Rick Perry would not uphold spending cuts required if the congressional supercommittee fails to meet next week's deadline for a plan to reduce federal spending by $1.2 trillion, the Republican presidential candidate said Thursday.

"Not at all," Perry told reporters here when asked whether he would allow the draconian cuts - including $600 billion from the Pentagon -- to take place if he is in the White House in January, 2013. The Texas governor insists that his plan to lower taxes and reduce regulations will make the cuts unnecessary by stimulating the economy.

Perry decried the supercommittee process as an example of the "lack of leadership in Washington" and faulted President Obama for being "AWOL" on a foreign trip instead of working on the budget cuts.

Perry responded by doubling down on his attacks on Pelosi. He called on the House Democratic leader to release details of her stock market profits after a "60 Minutes" report suggested Pelosi and her husband may have profited from stock transactions that were affected by her work as a legislator.

"I get it about why Nancy Pelosi doesn't want to debate me in public, because then she's going to have to explain why she profited from this insider trading information in the stock market," Perry said at the media availability in Jackson. "But if she won't explain her activities in a public setting, such as a debate, then I challenge her to turn over all that information to the Securities Exchange Commission or an independent prosecutor to determine whether she used insider information through her position in congress to make money off of her investments."...

WWW.RICKPERRY.ORG

November 16, 2011

Dear Leader Pelosi,

After reading about House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s outburst over my “Overhauling Washington” plan, I wonder if his obstructionism reflects your own opposition and that of the Democratic Caucus to urgent reforms the American people so vehemently demand.

After increasing the debt by $4 trillion in less than three years, no one can believe that Americans are satisfied with business as usual, and that a permanent political class in Washington can get us out of the mess you and your colleagues have created.

A part-time Congress with half the pay would still make $38,000 a year more than the average American family. Do you truly oppose lawmakers spending more time in their districts? Is it so important for the Washington power brokers to build their fiefdoms of influence, including providing bailouts to Wall Street while businesses on Main Street are being boarded up every day?

Here is the fundamental question: do you believe Washington is broken? Before answering that question, consider these facts:

1) the Washington Metro area is now the most affluent metropolitan area in the country because lobbyists, contractors, elected officials and bureaucrats have been insulated from the economic ruin prevalent in the private sector;
2) Congressional office budgets have doubled since 2000 while employers all across America are laying off workers;
3) Our nation’s total debt is nearing the size of our nation’s economy, increasing our dependence on competitors like China;
4) The number of Americans out of work has increased by more than two million since January 2009, despite the massive stimulus package Democratic leaders promised would revive the economy, and;
5) on top of the job-killing spending policies of the previous Congress, employers are faced with a staggering $1.1 trillion in costs related to federal regulatory compliance.

Do you truly believe the answer to massive debt, over-regulation and bloated big-government policies is to continue to protect the status quo, which enriches and empowers Washington insiders at the expense of the American People?

My plan would overhaul Washington, eliminating certain agencies and reducing the size and scope of others. It will force Congress to make the tough decisions to balance the budget or require a further reduction in their pay. It would end lifetime appointments to future appointees to the federal bench. I don’t want to tinker around the edges when the American People demand a complete overhaul of Washington.

Let me conclude with an invitation: I am in Washington Monday and would love to engage you in a public debate about my Overhaul Washington plan versus the congressional status quo. I think it would be a tremendous service to the American public to see a public airing of these differences. Let the people decide. If Monday doesn’t work, perhaps we could find a time in Iowa over the course of the next month to discuss these issues in front of the people of America’s heartland.

Should you choose not to respond or engage in such a healthy discussion, I will take it to mean you will continue your obstructionist ways in the face of much needed Washington reform.

Sincerely,

Rick Perry
Governor of Texas

The CBS News/NJ GOP debate video

CBS News/NJ GOP debate Transcript

[snip]

Scott Pelley: ....Governor Perry, you advocate the elimination of the Department of Energy. If you eliminate the Department of Energy--

Rick Perry: Glad you remembered it.

Scott Pelley: I've had some time to think about it, sir.

Rick Perry: Me too.

Scott Pelley: If you eliminate the Department of Energy, what do you do with the nuclear weapons?

Rick Perry: Well, there are plenty of places in our government that can have oversight on our-- our nuclear energy. But let me back over to-- the question that you've asked before this about what is the most important thing from a strategic standpoint, commander in chief. For ten years, I have been the commander in chief of over 20,000-plus individuals in the State of Texas as we've dealt with a host of either natural disasters or having deployments-- into the combat zone. So, if there's someone on this stage who has had that hands-on commander in chief experience, it is me, as the governor of the State of Texas.

I've ha-- dealt with generals. I have individuals at the Department of Defense who have been at the highest levels both on the civilian side and on the military side that will help me make decisions about those issues that we face as a country. So, I feel very comfortable from day one of surrounding myself with individuals who have extraordinary backgrounds in national defense and will be able to put this country on a track that Americans will feel we know that we're gonna be secure.

Scott Pelley: And that's time, sir.

Rick Perry: Including the southern border of this country with Mexico.

Scott Pelley: And that's time, thank you.

[snip]

Rick Perry: Let me just address Congressman Paul. And I-- Congressman, I-- I respect that you wore the uniform of our country. But-- in 1972, I volunteered to serve the United States Air Force. And the idea that we have our young men and women in combat today, Senator, where there are people who would kill them in a heartbeat, under any circumstance, use any technique that they can, for us not to have the ability to try to extract information from them, to save our young people's lives, is a travesty. This is war. That's what happens in war. And I am for using the techniques, not torture, but using those techniques that we know will extract the information to save young American lives. And I will be for it until I die.

[snip]

Scott Pelley: Welcome back to South Carolina and the Republican commander in chief debate. Governor Perry, we just got a-- question via Twitter from Barbara McMann (PH). And Barbara asked this question of you. "Does Governor Perry's Foreign Aid Starts at Zero include Israel?"

Rick Perry: Well, as Governor Perry-- would tweet back to her that-- absolutely. Every country would start at zero. Obviously, Israel is a special ally. And my bet is that we would be funding them-- at some substantial level. But it makes sense for everyone to come in at zero and make your case. As a matter of fact, we oughta try that-- doin' that with some of those agencies that I was tryin' to think the name of the other night.

Starting at zero, zero-based budgeting, and Newt will share with you, is we've gotta go there. And everyone has to come in and make your case. It's what the American people are doin'. There's somebody at home sittin' watchin' T.V. tonight, lookin' for a job. And they're havin' to budget. Why in the world would our federal government get a pass on sending our tax dollars to any country--

Scott Pelley: And, Governor, I have to s--

Rick Perry: --without havin' an answer? Why?

[snip]

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