Rep. Noem: Senate Budget Proposals ‘Ridiculous’

South Dakota GOP Rep. Kristi Noem calls Senate budget proposals “ridiculous,” because suggested spending cuts do not even cover the amount of money the government spends in a week. Noem Thursday also told Fox News’ Neal Cavuto, however, she is willing to continue voting for short-term resolutions to keep the government going.

“We are waiting for the Senate and the president to come to the table and make sure that we finish fiscal year 2011 by addressing our spending problems,” Noem said. “That's a good beginning before we start on our [2012] budget.

“When you look at February's deficit spending alone, and the fact that it was larger than what our total deficit spending was in 2007, the proposals that the Senate is sending us simply are ridiculous, because it's not even a solution,” she said. “It doesn't address the amount of spending that we have in a week's time. We need to get serious.”

Cavuto asked Noem if she would vote for another continuing resolution to keep the federal government open when the current one expires March 18, even though some of her GOP colleagues do not want to approve measures that contain only small spending cuts.

“Yes, Neil, I came here to cut spending. And so I'm going to vote for something that cuts spending,” she said. “And I'm going to keep pushing farther, and farther, and farther, because we need to. I'm going to take every opportunity to do that, and to push it as responsibly as we can, and to make sure that we continue down that path.”

Cavuto then asked what Noem thought of the Wisconsin budget turmoil and whether the votes curtailing public-employee unions’ bargaining rights were in the public interest.

“Well, I think it's been interesting to watch the process happen there in Wisconsin. And we certainly know that there's other states that are discussing this,” Noem said. “And that is the great thing about being states and having – states having rights to tackle these issues and do what the people there think is necessary.”