Every West Virginia family is forced to stay within a budget – live within their means.  That simple idea has been lost for years in Washington.

In fiscal year 2012 the federal debt will top $16.7-trillion dollars.  When you look closer it’s even worse.  The actual debt held by all of us – the United States public – is $10.8-trillion dollars.  We get it up to nearly $17-trillion in gross debt with the IOU’s owed to the Social Security Trust Fund – money that was set aside for those who earned benefits and paid into the program – but is now being siphoned off at an alarming rate to fund more spending.  This debt has increased by more than a trillion dollars since Senator Manchin took office just a year ago.

Each time President Obama has proposed increased spending Senator Manchin has been a reliable rubber stamp.  When a Republican Balanced Budget Amendment bill came up for a vote Senator Manchin, taking marching orders from the White House, voted NO.  It failed 47-53 in the Senate.  When Democratic colleague Mark Udall put up a version of the bill for political cover Senator Manchin, knowing it would fail, voted YEA.  The measure fell 21-79.

In only his second vote as a Senator, Joe Manchin voted NO to a bill designed to end the unsavory practice of earmarks attached to regular spending bills for pork barrel projects and political slush funds.

John Raese would vote FOR a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U. S. Constitution and vote NO to the budget busting practice of earmarks.