Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) released the following statement in response to reports that the Governor’s office directed departments to reduce spending by 5%:

“Wait, you mean Republicans were right in our dire budgetary predictions EVERY YEAR of this administration’s kicking the can down the road?!? Well what do you know! The looming fiscal cliff is a reality that many Republicans, like myself, saw coming because of Governor Murphy’s wild seven-year-long spending binge, as well as their failure to enact responsible and essential cost-saving reforms” said Sen. O’Scanlon. “If the Governor is serious about righting the ship, he can start by embracing moderate restraints and clawing back hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent balances from hundreds of frivolous pork items that were jammed in the budget over the past three years. When he starts with that low-hanging fruit, people might take his claims of frugality seriously.”

For years Senate Republicans warned Governor Murphy and Trenton Democrats about impending fiscal imbalances while proposing constructive ideas to get ahead of these problems.

“Cutting the cost of bureaucracy is a good first step, but if the Governor truly wants to avoid a disastrous fiscal cliff and protect New Jersey taxpayers, he’ll listen to Republicans’ cost-saving measures that have gone long ignored in previous budget cycles,” concluded Sen. O’Scanlon.