It’s Showtime: High Stakes for Federal Spending Fight
by Robert BlueyJust how unusual is the current spending debate on Capitol Hill? Based on the size and scope of the GOP’s proposed cuts, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said you’d have to go back to World War II to find such reductions in federal spending.
Spending debates in Washington usually end the same way — with more federal spending. The federal government today spends more on a per-household basis than ever before — a staggering $31,088.
That number is expected only to increase in the years to come. It’s one reason Republicans prevailed in November and why they’ve made spending cuts one of their first acts of the 112th Congress.
As the focus shifts from the size of the cuts to a defense of them, expect to hear plenty of fear-mongering from Democrats. It started last week when Senate Democrats began floating the possibility of a government shutdown.
Judging from recent comments by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Democrats are hoping to reprise the budget battle of 1995. In that case, a Republican-led Congress squared off against a Democrat president — and the GOP lost.
“They are blindly swinging a meat axe to the budget when they should be using a scalpel,” Schumer recently pontificated. “Some of these House Republicans won’t be satisfied with anything less than a shutdown of the government.”
The 1995 government shutdown effectively ended the GOP’s mandate to enact major spending cuts. Only now — more than 15 years later — are Republicans ready to do battle again.
Republicans will face a flurry of attacks over the next few weeks before the fiscal 2011 continuing resolution expires on March 4. Despite multiple statements from GOP leaders that they’re committed to cutting the size of spending, not a shutdown, expect to hear more scare tactics.
The consequences are huge. That’s why conservatives and freshman lawmakers made a stand last week to demand a larger cut. These moments don’t come along often.
After years of Washington’s spending binge, now is the time to bend the curve in the opposite direction and set the country on a different course.
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52 Comments
If a gov't shutdown would mean spending zero dollars, what's wrong with that? I know thats not how it works but it would be nice!
Here in CT they (Dem governor Malloy) are proposing a tax credit of $1700 to those who pay little or no taxes. What??????
The cuts being proposed by both sides are a joke.
Cut $1 Trillion/year…..that is a cut I could believe in.
It isn't time for scalpel or meat ax it's time for the CONSTITUTION! Fund only that, that is lawful under the constitution cut everything else!
Just saw Jack Lew office of OMB on Fox & Friends, convoluted doesn’t even begin to describe that special brand of Washington hilarity. These jerks submit a $3.7 Trillion budget $1.7 Trillion dollar deficit in one year but have the balls to claim a savings over 10 years of $1.1 Trillion…hmmm, I think the “Voodoo Economics” that GHW Bush spoke of (debate with Reagan 1980) so many years ago has arrived.
He also said something that if you stated this in the private sector, your ass would be in a sling, too paraphrase, “we save $65 Billion in Medicare, so we can spend 65 Billion in Medicare.” Hmmm…glory be! …it’s a miracle. Or could it be the allusive, “waste, fraud, and abuse,” or is it Barrycare? Our guys had better attack this monstrosity, and now!
Call your Representatives, today!
The ''budget battle'' better be more than theater for the unwashed this time.
We will be paying attention and our BS detectors are set on hair-trigger response. Oops was that ''uncivil''?
We will not be fooled by these b-grade movie actors who seem to have populated DC.
#4900
02/14/11
.
One thing I don't like is, all the talk by the Republicans of finding common ground.
There is no common ground with these socialists !
Freedom's message: Cut the budget NOW or we will cut you out of office next election!
This graph just shows us that America is clueless when they hear numbers. $100 billion "sounds" big, but it's a gnat on an elephant's butt!
"common ground"……. is now still far to the left side,…..
thanks to the last forty years and especially the last four.
I can not believe the Republicans have allowed themselves,……
to be painted into the "shut the government down " corner again.
Even Newt Gingrich, who is a lot smarter than, anyone in the House today,……
got his ass whipped the first time around.
The good news is that this time around, we have YES the,…..
Tea Party Movement, but it is going to have to grow big time.
So if you do not go into streets this summer,…..
I do not want to hear your BS.
Two words, Constitutional Convention.
http://audacitea.blogspot.com/
What I like to see is a graph that shows the deficit per year. What you would've gotten with that flat line of spending in the 1990's (where are those horrible cuts) the deficit dropped to zero. Spending exploded and the deficit exploded.
Conclussion we have a spending problem and not a tax problem. Cut spending.
Not to mention in the last five years spending it looks like has jumped $5,000 per household. Just going back to 2007 levels will basically be the step needed to balance the budget.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
It’s time to shut the federal government down!
Think for a moment, what we do without DoE, EPA, IRS, OSHA, and the myriad of alphabet agencies…CELEBRATE!
Perhaps, it’s time for the mother of all Tea Party’s?
YES so big,…that even the MSM would have to report on.
All of the articles trying to impress us with irrelevantly small spending cuts are tiresome. Balance the budget this year and then I'll be impressed. Government can do what little we really need it to do, and our society can survive without deficit spending, We can do so right now. In fact, it is deficit spending that we cannot survive much longer. If Republicans refuse to shrink government back at least to GWB levels, and right frackin now, then they are completely useless. But we expected that. A disappointment but not a surprise. That is why we need to keep working to take over the party. It will be a long struggle.
I thumbed you up because I agree we need a convention. But PLEASE don't refer to it as a "Constitutional Convention." That's not constitutional. In the Constitution it is accurately worded as "a convention to propose amendments."
Whenever it's referred to as a ConCon, fear immediately sets in, as people think it could result in "throwing out the entire Constitution." It's an irrational fear, but just TRY talking people out of it.
So again, please, it's an Article V convention, or a "convention to propose amendments." It is NOT a Constitutional Convention.
http://foavc.org/
The deficit is $1.65 Trillion with Obama's budget which includes $53 for a new choo choo train for Joe. This is getting absolutely surreal.
Obama is trying his best to ruin our country. He goal is to bring down our system and install one of his choosing. Congress can stop the madness and needs to get in high gear doing so before further damage can be inflicted. When did we ever give so much attention to muslums? Other than terrorist's, they mean nothing to Americans.
There's a bill circulating out there now that instructs the Treasury, in the case of a shutdown, to direct spending to service on the debt as first priority.
By doing that, you take away the threat of "default" from the table. They should follow that with instructions to pay "entitlements" second (so we don't have riots in the streets), and make the rest of the government shut down argument be about defunding every other bloated, federal agency.
Oh yeah! Don’t pay attention to the spin, shut it down, not a damn thing will happen that matters, except super majorities in 2012.
Obama is perpetual Heartburn. Obama is the definition of incompetence. Obama is a disgrace to America and defiles the office he holds everyday. For those who will admit they voted for this jerk, How is that Hopey changey junk working for ya.?
I heard a wonderful stat this AM on the radio, if you spent a $100,000.00 per hour 24/7, how long would it take to spend $1.7 Trillion, our deficit?
1826 years!
These bastards must be stopped, CALL YOUR REPRESENTTIVES! You can bet the unions will.
I like a choo-choo as much as the next guy, but this one must be derailed.
I must run in different circles because the term CC is never written or spoken of with the fear of which you speak. I can imagine that lefties would plant this sentiment of "throwing out the entire Constitution" to undermine such a move but the throngs of tea partiers I correspond with, meet with and read, use CC as a rallying cry. Thanks for your clarification though.
http://audacitea.blogspot.com/
Sounds good. Today everyone call your REPS.
I'm speaking of my experience here when this discussion has come up before. And you're absolutely correct, it has been EXACTLY the "progressives" that introduced the fear narrative about the "dangers" of a convention. They did this precisely because they've known for decades that the greatest threat to their agenda is the Article V convention. And they have been VERY effective in creating that fear.
If you're interested, here is a page of links for many pro-Article V websites:
http://www.foa5c.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=12
Did you notice they want to cut $100 billion from the requested spending Obama submitted to them.
Who cares what Obama requested. The fact they used that wording has me upset. They need to take the actual spending from last year and without any adjustments take and cut that 'several' hundred Billion. Then I'll take them seriously.
Why do politicians always play this game when they were elected for this one thing?
Al Gore can hire everyone laid off from NPR and the federally funded arts programs.
Exactlty! I didn't hear a single republican campaign on 'meeting on common ground'!
We hired them, we can fire them. Primaries are the time to peel them off, like Senator Benson from Utah got taken down. And we can't count on the RNC to do the work for us. Take names and remember!
Hey don't worry. One Big A$$ Mistake is going to put forth a wonderful budget today. He's proposing cutting 1 TRILLION yes I said 1 TRILLION over the next decade. What's that you say? Not enough??!! You conservatives just desire for everyone to die if they don't agree with you………
The fact that anyone buys this kind of crap is ridiculous. Seriously?!?!?! A budget to cut a trillion over the next decade but that is going to increase the budget by a couple trillion this year!! He (BO) truly is serious about fiscal responsibility. Anyone who says otherwise is just plain crazy! (again sarc…..)
Wake up America!!!!!
Obama should get about half of what he asked for in his budget of 3.73 Trillion this year.
Half of the Federal Government should go away.
No more DoE, FCC, EPA and HUD.
No more ACORN and Planned Parenthood.
No more Stimulus or Ballouts.
No more Welfare.
Gotcha. Thanks so much. The link is fantastic.
Much obliged!
Too late. Game over.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/02/a_tipping_...
OK Schmucky. We could drop the "meat axe" (does anyone even know what that is?) and move to a neutron bomb. The bulk of the cabinet offices could then be reconfigured as stylish loft condominiums for the new free market green energy workers of the future. What? You say they are coming when? Oh, never.
Maybe we could lease them to the Chicom auditors reviewing our books then…
Walt, to balance the budget and cut deficit spending, we have to return to 1986 levels. We must also take into account that BO's moratorium on oil, all the current subsidies, and foreign aid are killing us. This is also a ploy to kill medicare so BO's great socialist plan of socialized medicine will be the only program left standing.
I do so hope you are correct.
He is succeeding with his tactics at the EPA, FCC, and DOI. Problem is that the lemmings who vote believe this brat is the best thing since peanut butter, and will vote him into office once more to finish his and the soros dream of destruction.
No more subsidies or foreign aid, grants, gifts, etc to foreign govts, groups, and individuals. This is BO's way to punish the American people for not bowing to his desire for obamacare, and his runaway spending.
Congress has to cut 1.5 trillion from spending this year and it must cut another at the same level for 2012. If it does not do this, we will never see daylight again. I want to see a cut of 50% on discretionary spending, an immediate 15% reduction in salaries across the board for all federal employees to include congress and the president's salary. I want USAID shut down, and spending reduced for the EPA, DOI, FCC, DOEnergy, and DOEducation by 70%. I want all subsidies and foreign aid to cease immediately. And finally I want an immediate freeze on the debt ceiling.
This crappy budget for 2012 needs to be cut to the bone and oil exploration, coal production, and farming need to ramp up to help us reduce the trade deficit.
Am I the only one to see that BO is using this to wipe out medicare, medicaid, and substitute his obamacare as the only alternative to health care?
How can we even think of subsidizing "fast" rail, green jobs, etc when the country is broke and the brat and his delusions of greatness are driving us further into the pit.
I also see this as a means to pull us out of the two war zones – Iraq and Afghanistan which is not a bad idea since they are financially sustainable.
Soros and his minions are smiling right now. The destruction of the US is nearly complete without a shot being fired in her defense.
Last one out, blow out the candle.
Good remark. However, our Federal Government is doing that already. An illegal in Houston lost her IRS refund check last year, and the story was on TV. Commentator said her check was for $5,000.+ I couldn't undertand how an illegal who pays no tax or little tax could get a $5,000. return. I checked it out, and that is a law. If people pay little or no tax, they can get large amounts back from the Feds – up to $5,000. It is a shame and a sham.
This is the pure definition of Socialism and Welfare. Obama said it best to Joe the Plumber "Spread the wealth." They did a good job during the Clinton years to get people off of welfare but I think its making a comeback with Obama and the Pelosi Dem's.
I will be at my State Capital on 15 April grieving for Liberty & fiscal responsibility. I assume you will be at your State Capital.
It is time for a change. We need to cut ALL spending. Not just social. That is how everyone sacrifices for the good of the Republic.
"The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign hands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall." Cicero, 55 B.C.
I'm sorry, John and Arva, but I must respectfully play the devil's advocate here: Keeping socialists away from an Article V convention would be all but impossible. If the regressives have proven one thing, it's that they're highly adept at fomenting mischief when presented with opportunities such as this. Here's a sample, based on generic liberal drivel:
• If we want a balanced-budget amendment, they'll want to restrict the Second Amendment so that it protects only the types of firearms in existence when it was originally written, i.e., single-shot pistols and muzzle-loaded rifles.
• We want term limits on members of Congress? They'll resurrect the Equal Rights Amendment.
• We want to repeal the 17th Amendment and return the selection of senators to the state legislatures? They'll want to modify Article I, Section 8 so that the Commerce Clause means whatever Congress decides it means. Result: Instant legitimacy for "health" "care" "reform," and whatever other hare-brained schemes they can dream up.
I fully realize they'd still have to get their ideas past 38 state legislatures – a tall order right now, given that the voters booted 700 socialists out of them last fall. Problem is, we face the same hurdle. While they may have a lot more states in flyover country to woo than we do on the coasts, the fact remains that conservative/libertarian Constitutional reforms would need to be sold to the legislatures in at least a couple of blue states to surmount that threshold. By my count, they have 13 reliable states right now: WA, OR, CA, MN, IL, MD, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT and ME. Under the right circumstances, NV, CO, NM, NH, DE and even PA might be persuaded to join with the "progressives," decisively blocking the conservative agenda. Therefore, the log-rolling needed to get our reforms enshrined in the Amendments necessarily would mean some of their pet projects would be part of the final result as well.
As sloppy as the status quo may be, sometimes it can be preferable to unforeseeable outcomes.
Keep in mind Old that 2007 revenues you only have to go to 2004 levels. If you use 2009' lower revenues than that's 2002 level. Basically kill the spending increases that took place since 2000.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
I've had this conversation, here and elsewhere, so many times that I can't remember where one conversation ends and another begins.
All I'll say here is that you've made many of the salient points usually offered for and against the convention. But if I was just considering my position based only on what you've said here, I would be 100% in favor of calling the convention. Even if you consider the worst case scenario in your assessment, what we'd end up with is a stalemate. That is, no amendment would gain the requisite 3/4 majority for ratification. But still, we would have had the national conversation on what could be done to correct the federal overreach problem that we're already suffering.
The other benefit, even in the "worst case scenario," would be that the proposed amendments from the right would have sparked massive, organized support organizations to be birthed, at least enough to match the organized leftist organizations that ALREADY EXIST.
In short, this would be a net gain for the right, and a net neutral for the left. And that's the "worst case scenario."
In reality, the political climate in the country would much more likely give us at least the Repeal Amendment, or the Balanced Budget Amendment, than anything that would advance the "progressive" agenda. All it would take is a measure of confidence in the Constitution as it's written; that place where the Founders gave us the remedy of the Article V convention.
Walter, that works. But we also need to reduce our trade deficit to zero and pay off the country's unfunded debt that we as taxpayers are responsible to repay.
President Obama has issued an ultimatum to Republicans over his budget…
From the desk of President B. Hussein Obama
To: Speaker of the House John Boehner
Dear Johnny,
So, you guys got control of the House (for the time being) and you think you're going to tell Me how things are done? Well, let's have a little talk. I'm here to make you an offer you can't refuse. Specifically, you are going to approve my budget for $3.7 trillion, and you are going to like it, or else there will be consequences. Not a threat, just a statement of fact. Let Me point the facts out for you.
Fact one, I'm the President. I got elected fair and square. I set the budget because I am The Man. Now you can whine, whimper and complain all you want, but at the end of the day I AM THE MAN! Let's say, for example, you try to cut some of My budget. Do you remember what happened in 1995? You Republicans thought you were all that and a bag of chips back then, didn't you? You even had control of the Senate back then. Well, what good did it do you? All Clinton had to do was keep vetoing the budget and even Gingrich had to cave. Face it, if the government gets shut down, nobody is going to blame Me. Nobody blamed Clinton in '95, nobody will blame Me in '11. The amerikkkan people will fall for the same old trick every time. Like the saying goes, there's a sucker born every minute, and if they don't get their monthly checks they'll be blaming you, not Me…. Read the rest here… http://beautifulletters-bls.blogspot.com/2011/02/...
If not in DC
END baseline budgeting now.
Return to the FY 2002 budget levels.
Make every damn Cabinet officer justify her/his existence or they are fired.
We are broke–we can not continue to steal from our unborn grandchildren!
Tanning Master Boehner—I knew you would be an epic failure at the job of reigning in the budget! Stop spending our money or their will be CONSEQUENCES. Do you idiots realize what will happen if the US Dollar is no longer the reserve currency for the world? We will have to purchase our foreign goods like oil with another countries currency. We won't be able to just print the dollars we need to buy the goods. WE WILL SEE $10/GALLON GAS AND MASSIVE UNEMPLOYMENT LEADING TO A CIVIL WAR or at minimum if we are lucky a coup by the people who can think past tuesdays lunch menu. Then we hang every single one of you sobs until we run out of rope.
God i think I am going to have stroke or something. You jerks in Congress are going to turn us into some first world has-been country—-like France or the UK.
Boehner you want that as your legacy??
This post will probably get me banned from this site–but oh hell it felt great.
I saw one proposal to cut 1 trillion in spending over the next 10 years. Besides being a drop in a bucket 1 trillion dollars in cuts over 10 years is nothing. And within those 10 years how much new spending with congress enact? And it's not just Democrats who love to spend. We need some sort of institutional reform.
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