Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, today sought to distance himself from House Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi’s comments that Republicans need to look more toward revenue generation when it comes to solving the budget impasse. Braley says Pelosi doesn’t speak for him on the issue. He says he formed his own opinions after talking with his constituents.
“And it was very clear to me from watching my constituents wrestle with these significant challenges, that the only way to solve these problems are through a combination of new revenues — that’s why I support modest increase in taxes for those making more than 250-thousand a year — and also targeted spending cuts,” Braley says. Braley says he is looking at federal agencies for ways to save money.
“When you look at how individual agencies perform their duties they’re measured by a lot of different things. And one of them is the amount of waste involved in those agencies,” Braley says. “Whether there is excessive regulation that needs to be look at and what impact that has on the cost of operating those agencies.”
Braley cited the example of the Pentagon wanting to spend 485 million dollars for a second engine on the joint strike fighter plane when it already has one engine for the plane. He says costs could also be cut by ending subsidies to oil companies.