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Romney Campaign Press Release - On Spending and Debt, Santorum Was Part of the Problem

February 10, 2012

"Senator Santorum now decries the obscene growth in federal spending and our national debt, but he was in Washington as this fiscal crisis grew — supporting billions in earmarks, repeatedly voting to raise the debt ceiling, and admitting that deficits no longer bothered him. Americans want a president who can offer solutions, not a lifelong politician who was part of the problem in the first place." —Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Yesterday, Senator Santorum Decried "Enormous" Government Spending And The "Immoral" National Debt:

Santorum Railed Against Government "Getting Bigger And Bigger, Spending Enormous Amounts Of Money, Throwing Us Into Immoral Debt..." SANTORUM: "[W]hat government is doing is getting bigger and bigger, spending enormous amounts of money, throwing us into immoral debt, crushing the business community in this country. And we need someone who can go out there and articulate a vision." (Rick Santorum, Remarks in Tulsa, OK, 2/9/12)

However, Senator Santorum Repeatedly Voted To Raise The Debt Ceiling, Added Trillions To The National Debt, And Even Admitted He Wasn't A "Deficit Hawk":

"Santorum Acknowledged Voting To Raise The Federal Debt Ceiling At Least Five Times While In Congress." (Charles Babington, "Gingrich Defends His Attacks," The Associated Press, 1/15/12)

Federal Spending Increased By Roughly 80% During Santorum's Tenure In The Senate. In 1995, Santorum's first year in the Senate, federal spending was approximately $1.516 trillion. By 2007, when Santorum left the Senate, spending had increased to approximately $2.729 trillion. ("Fiscal Year 2012 Historical Tables Of The U.S. Government," Office of Management and Budget, 2/14/11)

Santorum: "I Came To The House As A Real Deficit Hawk, But I Am No Longer A Deficit Hawk ... I'll Tell You Why. I Had To Spend The Surpluses." "Confronted with projected deficits until fiscal 2007, senior GOP lawmakers are backing away from long-standing rhetoric about the government's duty to live within its means. 'I came to the House as a real deficit hawk, but I am no longer a deficit hawk,' said Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). 'I'll tell you why. I had to spend the surpluses. Deficits make it easier to say no.'" (Hans Nichols, "Leadership Lines Up With Deficit Doves," The Hill, 2/5/03)

Senator Santorum Was A "Prolific" Earmarker And Continues To Defend Earmarks:

Club For Growth: "Santorum Was A Prolific Supporter Of Earmarks, Having Requested Billions Of Dollars For Pork Projects In Pennsylvania While He Was In Congress." ("2012 Presidential White Paper #4: Former Senator Rick Santorum," Club For Growth, 6/6/11)

Santorum Brought Over $1 Billion In Pork-Barrel Spending Back To Pennsylvania. "In all, Taxpayers for Common Sense estimated, Mr. Santorum helped secure more than $1 billion in earmarks during his Senate career, which stretched from 1995 through 2006." (Michael Luo and Mike McIntire, "Donors Gave As Santorum Won Earmarks," The New York Times, 1/15/12)

Santorum, In 2009: "I'm Very Proud Of All The Earmarks I Put In Bills. I'll Defend Earmarks." SANTORUM: "I'm not saying necessarily earmarks are bad. I have had a lot of earmarks. In fact, I'm very proud of all the earmarks I put in bills. I'll defend earmarks." (Fox News' "Hannity," 2/26/09)

2012: "[Santorum] Declined To Identify Any Earmarks He Regretted." ("Under Attack, Santorum Defends 'Good' Earmarks," The Associated Press, 2/9/12)

Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - On Spending and Debt, Santorum Was Part of the Problem Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/300100

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