Djou urges $1.3 trillion in spending cuts

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Charles Djou, R-Hawaii, blamed Democrats for the escalating deficit and urged them to approve $1.3 trillion in GOP-backed spending cuts.

Djou, delivering the weekly Republican radio and Internet address Saturday, renewed his call on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to consider cutting unspent stimulus money while freezing federal government hiring and salaries to reduce the deficit.

"If we keep spending too much, borrowing too much and taxing too much -- if we keep doing the same things, we're going to get the same dismal results. It's time to change direction," he said. "These are steps we can take right now to demonstrate to taxpayers at home and allies abroad that America is serious about getting its fiscal house in order."

Djou joined other Republicans in assigning blame for the faltering economy and persistently high unemployment on Democrats, saying the stimulus bill increased government debt without creating promised jobs.

"For every problem facing our nation, the answer from Washington has been to spend and spend and -- if that doesn't work -- spend some more," Djou said.

"The current administration in Washington told us that borrowing and spending billions would create jobs immediately and keep unemployment from exceeding 8 percent. They were wrong. Instead, we've lost millions of jobs and unemployment remains near 10 percent."