2010 DE Senate Debates: on Government Reform

Chris Coons: Consider 3-year freeze on non-defense discretionary spending

O'DONNELL: That's a great question because first of all we have got to tackle the deficit because our deficit is almost becoming equal to our national GDP.

Q: So what would you cut specifically?

O'DONNELL: First of all, cancel the unspent stimulus bill. Second, put a freeze on discretionary spending, put a hiring freeze on non-security personnel. And then, of course, when we're talking about cutting government spending, we've got to talk about waste, fraud and abuse.

COONS: Let me get back to the focus of the question, is what would you do to tackle the deficit? I would seriously consider supporting a freeze on non defense discretionary spending for three years, which would achieve significant reductions. I've also identified on my web site a series of reductions that I would support. Some of them are in agricultural price supports. Some are in federal office space, for example, or hiring. And several are in defense programs.

Christine O`Donnell: Cancel unspent stimulus; freeze spending & hiring

O'DONNELL: That's a great question because first of all we have got to tackle the deficit because our deficit is almost becoming equal to our GDP. That's when your currency collapses, your market collapses. We've got to take drastic measures.

Q: So what would you cut specifically?

O'DONNELL: First of all, cancel the unspent stimulus bill. Second, put a freeze on discretionary spending, put a hiring freeze on non-security personnel. And then, of course, when we're talking about cutting government spending, we've got to talk about waste, fraud and abuse. A recent report came out said we spend over $1 billion in Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse.

COONS: I would seriously consider supporting a freeze on non defense discretionary spending for three years, which would achieve significant reductions. I've also identified on my web site a series of reductions that I would support.

Christine O`Donnell: Private sector solutions over growth of government

The Democrat pitched himself as independent of his party in Washington, saying, "I would not have supported the bailout," because he said it was done too fast and "put hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars at risk."