Rep. Herrera Beutler on the federal sequester

With all this talk about the across-the-board federal spending cuts — also known as the sequester — I asked U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, to weigh in.

Here’s her response:

“The sequester is not the best approach to controlling government spending, but I do believe we need to get our budget under control, and I don’t believe the fearmongers who say that our federal government can’t possibly absorb a 2.5% decrease in federal spending. So I would welcome a chance to apply the cuts more surgically than the across-the-board approach taken by the sequester as long as the overall spending decrease is at least as much as the sequester. I’ve been urging leaders in my party to produce a plan that finds savings in all departments of government, including the Pentagon.

“I do not support the Senate Democrats’ plan. Our economy is still digesting the higher tax rates the President and Senate Democrats insisted on last month. It would be a bad idea to increase taxes now. It’s time to address the spending side of the equation.”

Stevie Mathieu: 360-735-4523 or stevie.mathieu@columbian.com or www.facebook.com/reportermathieu or www.twitter.com/col_politics