What is holding up the Budget???

Obama and the Democrats have met the agreed to 33 billion dollars in cuts...so what is holding up the budget?

Well, once the 33 billion was met...Republicans then demanded 60 billion in cuts. They have since come down to 40 billion in cuts.

So 7 billion is holding up the buget. And what do Republicans want in that 7 billion in cuts?

1) The complete defunding of Planned Parenthood

2) Defunding the EPA to be able to regulate greenhouse gases.


In short, the Republicans are trying to legislate through the budget. These are two ideological agenda items...items they KNOW that Obama and the Dems won't budge on. Why did they pick these two items??? Because they KNOW that it will cause a government shutdown.



No honestly...do any of you think these two items and an additional 7 billion in cuts is worth a government shutdown that will affect hundreds of thousands of people and cut off pay to our soldiers??? Should the Republicans be holding the country hostage in order to push through ideological non-budget items into a budget???

The GOP is just trying to pass on their ideology to the budget. The people of America do not want to cut funding of the EPA nor do they want to cut the entitlement programs (reform not deletion).

Couple that with the fact that the cuts the GOP wants to make will take away millions of jobs and investment in education, which they conveniently gloss over, and you get the real picture.

They are saying "give us what we want and the government will function for the corporation. Don't and we'll shut it all down."

They are being childish. Our economy will be destroyed if this happens.

England tried to do the same thing not too long ago and it was like a cinder block through a plate glass window for their economy.

reply to post by TripleSalCal
The EPA is a joke it should be cut from the Gov funding , here is why a company can dump millions of tons of waste illegally what is there fine $25,000 per month woopydo, it is worth them to pay this fine, for it is cheaper for them than to do so.

reply to post by TripleSalCal


Exactly.

And look, abortion is one area that I split with the liberals on. I am 100% against abortion. I don't like that Planned Parenthood provides, and IMO, encourages abortions. But I do realize that they do provide other services that are good IMO.

Regardless, even if I thought Planned Parenthood was 100% evil...this is not the time or the place to try to get rid of it. If they want to get rid of it, they should do it through the legislation process....not through the budget.

Planned Parenthood is really important.
How many more people would be on welfare without it???

The only ideology I'm seeing here is suffering and misery for all. The more the better.

Originally posted by bekod
reply to post by TripleSalCal

 

The EPA is a joke it should be cut from the Gov funding , here is why a company can dump millions of tons of waste illegally what is there fine $25,000 per month woopydo, it is worth them to pay this fine, for it is cheaper for them than to do so.

And that is fine if they want to try to get rid of it...but during a budget battle is not the place to do it.

Getting this in the budget isn't going to save the economy or significantly reduce the debt...the only thing holding out for this item does will be to shut down the government and put a lot of people in hurt.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


That's not all the Republicans put in their budget.

They want to end Medicare as we know it and privatize it (give it to a for-profit corporation). They want huge cuts in Medicaid, education, food stamps, Head Start, health care for pregnant mothers, WIC programs, housing subsidies, the hiring of federal workers, public broadcasting, environmental protection and on and on. Virtually every program that benefits the poor or the middle class.

The Republicans want to make all the cuts ONLY to the discretionary spending part of the budget, which comprises only 12% of total government expenditures. The part that covers all of our social safety net programs.

They do not want ANY cuts in military spending or tax breaks for the rich. In fact, they want to LOWER the income tax rate for the to the top 2% from 35% to 25%. They want to leave trillions in government spending untouched and attack only one part of the population.

In short, the Republicans are waging class war with this budget. They want to continue to redistribute all the nation's wealth upward.

They are insane to think that the country will stand for this, but I don't know. If they can turn the Democrats into the wusses they look like in this fight, maybe they can get it over on the American public too.

Originally posted by Sestias
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

They are insane to think that the country will stand for this, but I don't know. If they can turn the Democrats into the wusses they look like in this fight, maybe they can get it over on the American public too.

Come on man, this country will take anything. Nothing but a huge sheep. They can do anything they want up there and we will keep on taking it.

They will keep on with this game. I bet if congress stopped getting paid too this would not even be an issue right now because they would have decided on a budget a long time ago.

reply to post by Sestias


Yes, that is all in their proposed 2012 budget. That is a whole other story...but I agree with your thoughts on that bill.

But I'm talking about the remainder of the 2011 budget that they are trying to get through by Friday to avoid a government shut down.

Obama has drawn a line and declared no more extensions (hope he sticks with it)...and now it is up to republicans to give up on their ideological agenda or let the government shut down.

It is all on their shoulders.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Whats holding up the budget? Well looking back the Democrats controlled the house, the senate and the white house last year when a budget for this year was supposed to be passed. They did not pass a budget for this year. This was for purely political reasons so they can play the games they are playing right now to help get Obama re-elected in 2012. This is shameful.

Originally posted by EssenceOfSilence
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

Whats holding up the budget? Well looking back the Democrats controlled the house, the senate and the white house last year when a budget for this year was supposed to be passed. They did not pass a budget for this year. This was for purely political reasons so they can play the games they are playing right now to help get Obama re-elected in 2012. This is shameful.

edit on 7-4-2011 by EssenceOfSilence because: grammar

The ball is in the Republican's hands...there would be no games being played if they just stuck to the budget instead of ideology.

Did the Democrats delay the passage of the budget until the Republicans took control of the house? Yes...and they did it for various reasons. But did the Republicans have to take that opportunity to shut down the government??? No...they didn't...but they are choosing to do so. Which is why I believe is the reason the Democrats did it...to expose the Republicans and let them show their true colors. They don't care about the country or the budget...they only care about their ideology.

Defunding the EPA is a great idea. This is one of the agencies being used by the current administration to seize and wield power. They have become part of the great cap and trade scheme. I say strip em clean.

EPA has been unlawfully granted the authority to legislate and bypass the constitutional legislative process in this country. There is a reason that they want to bypass the process and the will of the people.!!

Congress makes the laws NOT the EPA!! Same goes for the FCC too.

Stop the Clean Air Act! Its gateway legislation designed to fully empower the EPA. They have no authority to regulate Green House Gases under the current guidelines of the Clean Air Act.

Well if the budget had been passed when it was supposed to, we would not have this farce. Instead where were the priorities? Please get off the Republican and corporation garbage, looking at what corporations have benefited from this administration shows that to be a joke. GE anyone?
It's gonna either be a few painful cuts now or a HUGE loss soon, this is the time to start taking a hard look at what is vital to all or vital to a select few. No more programs with a small group who benefits and less programs for frivolous things. Necessities only, not political pay offs!

That may be the case. But the bottom line is we have a budget from a president that wants to put us another couple of trillion dollars in debt over the next two years. This is not acceptable. Sooner or later some real leaders are going to have to bite the bullet and make the hard decisions instead of the politically correct decisions.
Instead we get these games, and it may take another election or two until we get enough leaders (not politicians) in office who are willing to pay the bills instead of swiping the card.

Originally posted by OutKast Searcher
reply to post by TripleSalCal

 

Exactly.

And look, abortion is one area that I split with the liberals on. I am 100% against abortion. I don't like that Planned Parenthood provides, and IMO, encourages abortions. But I do realize that they do provide other services that are good IMO.

Regardless, even if I thought Planned Parenthood was 100% evil...this is not the time or the place to try to get rid of it. If they want to get rid of it, they should do it through the legislation process....not through the budget.

It really makes me happy to see a calm and level headed position being taken. It's refreshing actually.

We may disagree in terms of abortion and PP in general, but i respect your civil tone. However, i do 100% agree with you on your overall point - legislation should not take place via the budget. It's the wrong place and time to do so.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Put the blame where is belongs. With a super majority the budget should have easily been passed under the deadline.

PELOSI chose as Speaker not to bring the budget to the floor for a vote. The entire budget process BEGINS in the House. She had every chance to pass the budget under full sail back in October. She opened the can of worms and raised the stakes in the game of Political B.S. that we are seeing now. Pointing fingers at everyone but themselves!! The charade is over!!

They were too focused on spending, spending, spending..... It has to end somewhere.

reply to post by jibeho


It's funny...I seem to remember Republicans talking about not blaming the past...but deal with the current issues.

And it seems like a lot of you want to blame the past actions of the democrats for the republicans failing to deal with the current budget situation.


Funny how that works.

reply to post by jibeho

Put the blame where is belongs. With a super majority the budget should have easily been passed under the deadline.

There was no super majority when the budget needed to be passed...that is simply not true.

The Republicans could of easily filibustered any attempt at a budget...so let's not pretend that Obama and the Dems could of done anything they wanted to do.

From the Dems perspective...what is better...fail to pass a budget when they have a majority (not a super majority) because the republicans block it. GIve them the power to make a stand and make Obama and the Dems appear powerless? Or wait until Republicans have a stake in the game...and put it on their shoulders to actually have to make some decisions and compromise???

We all know it is a game, both sides are playing....this time the Dems have outplayed the Repbulicans.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Wait, so the Dems did not hold the majority in the House, Senate and POTUS sitting in the White House.??

They held the majority on all three fronts. Please show me otherwise.

Second, Obama submitted a budget in Feb 2010 and Nancy Pelosi did not prepare a House version or submit the president’s budget for a vote. I already mentioned why. Spending and more spending between Obamacare and stimulus. They circumvented the budget by passing Continuing Resolutions that enable temporary funding of the govt.

A continuing resolution is a type of appropriations legislation used by the United States Congress to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year. The legislation takes the form of a joint resolution, and provides funding for existing federal programs at current or reduced levels.

en.wikipedia.org...

The House approved the so-called continuing resolution by a vote of 239 to 178 on Wednesday.

The measure moved to President Obama, who was expected to sign it.

The extension to Dec. 18 is the latest in a series of continuing resolutions approved by lawmakers after Congress failed to pass a new budget at the start of the fiscal year.

Without a formal budget, Congress typically ends up passing continuing resolutions for a month or two at a time. That essentially prevents Washington from shutting down, while lawmakers work on finalizing the new budget.

The fallout of not passing a continuing resolution would be no small matter, and would likely lead to furloughs of federal employees and sharply reduced governmental activities, which could have an impact on the larger economy.

money.cnn.com...

ETA
I believe the supermajority was achieved with the seating of Al Franken and the ship jumping of Arlen Specter

reply to post by jibeho

Wait, so the Dems did not hold the majority in the House, Senate and POTUS sitting in the White House.??

They held the majority on all three fronts. Please show me otherwise.

This is not what is considered a "super majority" as you claimed.

A super majority would be a filibuster proof congress...which they did not have.

ETA
I believe the supermajority was achieved with the seating of Al Franken and the ship jumping of Arlen Specter

They loss the super majority with the election of Scott Brown was seated in Feb. 2010. Well before the Dems were expected to pass a budget.

You can claim they had a super majority all you want...but it is factually inaccurate.