'Your World': Rep. John Adler Drawing Line on Spending

This is a rush transcript from "Your World With Neil Cavuto," July 20, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, ANCHOR: Nancy, no. Four House Democrats bucking their speaker. You don’t see that all the time, and all over big spending. You don’t see that practically any a time. So fed up, they are forming a group to bring spending down, just unveiling a plan they say will save $70 billion over 10 years. My next guest one of those doing the revolting, Democratic Congressman from New Jersey John Adler.

Congressman, what’s the reaction you have gotten?

REP. JOHN ADLER D-N.J.: Hey, Neil.

It’s a very positive reaction. First of all, it’s positive from the people back in our districts, the middle-class families, the senior citizens, the small businesses, all of whom have tightened their own family budgets or their business budgets to try to get by in tough times.

I have been in Congress just a very short time, 18 months. I haven’t seen Congress do that in my entire adult lifetime. Congress has seemed to want to spend money and not cut back on spending. And, frankly, we just can’t sustain these sort of spending levels in the future.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: What reaction have you gotten, then, from leadership?

ADLER: I have not heard yet from leadership, but I’m going to reach out to both Democratic and Republican leadership to try to end some of this insanity. I don’t think we can sustain it long-term.

CAVUTO: All right. But your party leadership has really not concurred in the past or even presently with the extension of unemployment benefits that is not paid for, so they’re merrily going on. What do you think of that?

ADLER: Well, I think, this whole decade, Congresses, both Republican and Democrat Congresses, have made a mistake of not listening to the people they represent in terms of spending.

There have been tax cuts. That’s a very healthy thing, but there have not been spending cuts. We see these rising deficits. This entire decade, it has really been a debacle in terms of fiscal accountability. And so we have got to stop this insanity now. I want to be one of those people of both parties that will stand up and start saying no to the spending and actually cut back on programs that no longer make sense, if they ever did.

CAVUTO: I am wondering how much of this might be, with no offense, sir, personally motivated, because you’re worried. You see your own seat might be in danger. Democrats’ majority status in the House might be in danger, if not the Senate as well, and that you’re reading the writing on the wall.

ADLER: Well, I am reading the writing on the wall.

I have heard from lots of people in over 100 town hall meetings I have had throughout my middle-class district. I have heard from lots of people who are concerned about job creation through the private sector, not through the government side, but the private sector, and are concerned about their kids and their grandkids’ future.

So, I take this personally for my four sons, for my wife, for our family, and for all the families I represent in my district around the country. And I think both parties finally have to come together, stop throwing bombs at each other, and start working together to cut the spending, to build up our private sector, and make our country stronger for the next generation.

CAVUTO: Bottom line, sir, they’re not doing that. So status quo, if all things continue as they are for the leaders in your party, what’s your prediction for November?

ADLER: Well, I think we’re going to have to have positive change in terms of fiscal accountability, in terms of spending restraint, in terms of the sort of targeted tax cuts that will create a private sector job economy that my four kids and lots of young people coming out of high school and college will have a chance to access to have their own chance for the American dream. And I think that’s got to be the focus for all Americans going forward.

CAVUTO: Congressman, thank you very, very much. We appreciate it.

ADLER: Thanks, Neil. Good to see you.

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