So says the Politico in a wonder article that could have been written by the DNC or the uber politicized White Democrat House
Turning right with a vengeance, Republicans will bring to the House floor Tuesday a newly revised debt-ceiling bill that is remarkable for its total absence of compromise at this late date, two weeks before the threat of default.
Cough Stimulus cough Obamacare cough financial reform bill cough “I won” cough
Final revisions made Friday submerge conservative demands to reduce all federal spending to 18 percent of gross domestic product — a target that threatened to split the GOP by requiring far deeper cuts than even the party’s April budget. But Republican congressional leaders still want a 10-year, $1.8 trillion cut from nondefense appropriations and have added a balanced-budget constitutional amendment that so restricts future tax legislation that even President Ronald Reagan might have opposed it in the 1980s.
$1.8 trillion is a pittance next to the what the US is spending, but, it is a start. I used the analogy of going to the gym for a New Years resolution before, so, let’s use a different one today. You decide to give up smoking, but, it’s just not happening. But, then, you stat having the coughs every day. Finally, after a coughing fit that leaves you red faced and panting, you start with a simply cut of 5 smokes a day. Then you cut a few more. Then a few more. As you feel better and better, you cut out even more. Now you are down to maybe half a pack a day, instead of two packs. But, you still like smoking, so, that is the level you will maintain. That’s like the budget: once they start cutting, hopefully they will continue cutting, especially if the GOP retakes the Senate and White House in 2012. Cutting anything in government is damned near impossible, what with all the competing interests. Quick, name a federal program or agency that has been eliminated. Ever. Not easy, eh? The cuts are a start.
Oh, and you know when liberals start telling us what they think Ronald Reagan would do, that liberals are definitely on the wrong track. Especially since liberals are very worried about not being able to mess with the tax code and raise taxes on all.
Budget resolutions are nonbinding and intended to set goals for Congress. This bill goes much further: writing those targets into law and reverting to the same tactics used in the government shutdown crisis but with far higher risks to the American economy.
And the problem with that is……? Perhaps it is high time for Congress to actually have to set goals and act in a responsible manner, especially since they are playing with Other People’s money.
Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.
I love this topic. Out of a budget over 4 Trillion dollars, we can’t find a trillion to cut to get our budget back down to 2008 levels?
I had a long discussion last night with a friend of mine over Sen Coburn’s announcement that he could cut the nation’s budget by $9 Trillion over 10 years. She could not fathom that. She kept thinking it was 9 Trillion for one year thus she kept calling it A RADICAL PLAN and thus doomed to fail from the start.
She couldn’t see that the proposed cuts only amounted to less than 1 Trillion a year and comprised mostly of waste, corruption, and PORK. If you realize the level of pork and wasteful projects we are funding, there is no doubt we have a huge budget.
If you set the government to do just the work of government, we don’t need more than 2Trillion.
And to call a 180 billion/year cet…radical?? There’s more fraud and waste in Medicare alone.
It way past time to get serious. We need to slash this budget fast and now. In order to help pay off our 130 Trillion debt, we have to have more money coming in that we pay out. It’s called… building up savings. Everyone else in this world knows it. Lives it. Its time Congress does as well.
Or shut the crap down.
True, true, but they have to start somewhere. Then they cut a bit more. And more. And we keep on their butts to cut.