Colbert Busch: ‘I Respectfully Disagree’ With Obama’s Budget

Elizabeth Colbert Busch poses on a street in Charleston, S.C., on Wednesday, February 13, 2013.
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Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the Democratic nominee in the special election in South Carolina’s First Congressional District, said in a statement released Wednesday that she’s opposed to the budget that will be put forth by President Barack Obama, citing the proposal’s lack of spending cuts and tax breaks for small businesses. 

Colbert Busch is squaring off with former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) in the special election, which is scheduled to be held on May 7. 

“I respectfully disagree with the budget that President Obama is expected to present today because it simply doesn’t take the right steps to putting our fiscal house back in order – especially from my perspective as a businesswoman. The fact is, we have to balance our budget, cut our spending and lower taxes for small businesses to create jobs. Unfortunately, this budget takes the opposite approach; it raises taxes, doesn’t balance and doesn’t cut enough – when we should be laser-focused on slashing wasteful and duplicative spending.

“Not only does President Obama’s plan fail to put our finances back in order, it would cut benefits for our seniors, which is wrong. I believe that our seniors earned their Social Security by putting money away every single paycheck for a lifetime – knowing that they could count on Social Security when they retired. Just this week, I met with seniors at Island Oaks Living Center, and they told me how much they worked and depend on Social Security – and I will stand with them. Simply put, Social Security doesn’t contribute to the deficit, and politicians should keep their hands off the trust fund.

“Between President Obama’s budget and Representative Paul Ryan’s plan, neither one has a fiscal approach that is acceptable to South Carolina families. The people of the 1st Congressional District need a representative who will fight for those values in Washington – restoring fiscal responsibility without throwing our seniors under the bus. As a tough and independent businesswoman, I’ll fight for a balanced budget amendment, cut wasteful spending and lower taxes on small businesses.”

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