HARRISONBURG — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-7th District, said Friday that there can be no more continuing resolutions to keep the government operating and said this year’s federal budget impasse must be resolved by the April 8 deadline.
A continuing resolution passed Thursday by the Senate and signed into law by President Barack Obama on Friday cuts $6 billion from the current year’s budget.
But the resolution does not extend the government operation past April 8.
“We have passed the last stopgap measure. We will have to have some resolution,” said Cantor, who appeared in Harrisonburg with Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th District.
Cantor also said House Republicans would soon present their vision for the 2012 federal budget that includes “a strong dose of fiscal discipline.”
The House leader said the Republican message would speak to future changes in major entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Those Americans age 55 and older will receive funding under those programs as expected.
“We will protect today’s seniors,” said Cantor, speaking of those age 55 and older. He said those age 54 and younger should anticipate changes in the entitlement programs.
Goodlatte said spending reform mean cuts or the end of other programs.
“Forty percent of the money spent last year was borrowed,” he said. “We need to restrain government spending.”
Goodlatte also said it is up to the Obama Administration to do its part on cuts.
“This administration must work to curtail spending,” he said.
Cantor said American families continue to feel the pinch of a struggling economy.
He said the fiscal restraint families are demonstrating has to be followed by the federal government.
“People deserve a federal government that spends money the way they do,” he said.
Cantor said part of the cutting includes ridding the government of programs that duplicate services.
He also said the federal government has grown so much in recent years that “it is hard for business to thrive and grow.”
