Braley budget column nothing but lip service

U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley wrote a guest column (“A balanced-budget plan to support,” May 20) announcing he is in favor of a balanced-budget amendment introduced Oct. 14, 2011, by Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich.

This is truly audacious for Braley to state, considering, for example, he voted for Obama's stimulus (2009) that cost $800 billion we the people didn't have, and for ObamaCare, for which the Congressional Budget Office estimates costs will almost double at $1.79 trillion.

Many balanced budget resolutions have been proposed in the last 3 to 4 years, the following and probably others without Braley's support: House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.) 1, Jan. 6, 2009, which died, then reintroduced Jan. 5, 2011; H.J. Res. 78, March 6, 2010; H.J. Res. 2, Jan. 5, 2011; and H.J. Res. 10, Jan. 6, 2011.

The latest - H.J. Res. 2, Nov. 18, 2011 - all of Iowa's reps voted yes for except Braley. Check it out: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/.

The National Taxpayers Union gives Braley a “D” grade at 21 percent, just 1 point away from an F. It's time to stop Braley's big spending and lip service. Vote for Ben Lange in November.

Tom Gerhold

Atkins