The news media has been reporting how Congressman Paul Ryan, Republican, self proclaimed conservative from Wisconsin, and current Chairman of the House Budget Committee is leading the movement to balance the budget and force the Federal Government to live within its means.

“As Chairman of the House Budget Committee I assure you that we want to work with the President to restrain Federal spending. A few years ago, reducing spending was important. Today, it’s imperative. Here’s why. We face a crushing burden of debt. The debt will soon eclipse our entire economy, and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead. On this current path, when my three children — who are now 6, 7, and 8 years old — are raising their own children, the federal government will double in size, and so will the taxes they pay. No economy can sustain such high levels of debt and taxation. The next generation will inherit a stagnant economy and a diminished country….Our debt is out of control. What was a fiscal challenge is now a fiscal crisis.”

There’s no doubt that this is a great speech and Rep. Ryan mentions many very important facts. WTF Finance agrees that the United States has been living beyond its means and that this deficit spending is out of control and cannot be sustained indefinitely. WTF Finance agrees on that, what we would like to point out is the fact that Rep. Ryan is no different than the many other hypocrites that vote to expand the size, role, and cost of Government only to lecture us about the importance of Government living within its means.

Since Rep. Ryan proclaims to be a “conservative” and his official website states that he “works to bring fiscal discipline and accounting to the federal government” we would like to debunk the myth that this Republican is what he claims to be.

Rep. Ryan and many of his neo-conservative party members are rightfully accusing President Obama and the Democrat Party of being fiscally irresponsible; but what Ryan and many of his party members don’t acknowledge is that they are expanding the size, role, and cost of Government as much as the liberals.

Most politicians aren’t trustworthy and have a history of campaigning on one platform while enacting different policies once elected. Congressman Ryan not only has a history of campaigning on promises while voting differently but now accuses the left of expanding the size, role, and cost of Government while his voting record shows that he contributed to this very problem.

Let’s see whether Rep. Paul Ryan is a fiscal conservative and for limited Government by taking a thorough look at his voting record.

In 2001 this self-proclaimed conservative that now critiques the size and cost of Government voted for the unconstitutional Patriot Act that not only is a significant expansion of the powers granted to the Federal Government but also came with a significant price tag.

Paul Ryan publically advocates for a free market and uses the pro-free market platform to attack the Nationalization of the Health Care System. WTF Finance doesn’t disagree with the notion that free market capitalism is important but unlike Rep. Ryan we are not hypocrites about it. In his remarks at the National Press Club in Washington DC, he stated the following:

“Government’s obligation is normally met by establishing the conditions for free markets to thrive. Societies with economic freedom almost always have a growing abundance of goods and services at affordable costs for the largest number. When free markets seem to be failing to meet this test – and I’d argue today’s health care delivery is an example – government should not supply the need itself. It should correct its own interventions and liberate choice and competition.”

His voting record is all but in favor of keeping the Government out of business to ensure the market functions. He voted in favor of the first Economic Stimulus Plan (HR 5140) under President Bush and approved further budget deficit spending with his anti-free market vote on the Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments (HR 1424). With his “Yay” vote in HR 5140 he also increased the FHA loan limits which is not only a vote in favor of Government interference in the mortgage market but further expanded the debt obligation through loan loss risks. Any conservative that understands the importance of personal freedom and free markets would be terrified of anybody voting in favor of such business interference. Further, it is all but conservative to use Government funds to assume power over private enterprise while adding to the National debt in the process.

Since Paul Ryan is so worried about the great debt this Nation is facing and proclaims to understand the drastic consequences this could have on his children that are now 6,7, and 8 years old we would like to point out that he voted for additional deficit spending on the unconstitutional wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and approved of every deficit Budget under the Bush Administration. He also voted to expand Medicare benefits in 2008.

In 2008 and prior to that while a Republican was in the White House he didn’t seem to mind deficit spending to put a greater debt obligation on his children and others. So it does matter when his children are 6, 7, and 8 but it wasn’t important when they were 4, 5, and 6…or does it only matter when the opposing party is in charge? Whatever the reason, Rep. Ryan’s voting record is proof enough that he is neither fiscally conservative nor for limited Government.

While we acknowledge that Rep. Paul Ryan is not as liberal as many other Presidential hopefuls, he is still far from being the fiscal conservative, pro free market, limited Government advocate he claims to be.