House Votes to Cut Food Stamps to Avoid Defense Reduction

www.bloomberg.com...

The U.S. House voted to cut food stamps, federal workers’ benefits and other domestic programs to avoid scheduled reductions in defense spending.

The chamber today passed, 218-199, a plan to cut about $310 billion in spending to replace automatic defense-spending reductions that lawmakers in both parties agree shouldn’t be allowed to take effect in January.

“This plan ensures that we maintain our fiscal discipline and commitment to reducing out-of-control government spending, while making sure our top priority is national security,” said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican.

Democrats lined up against the measure, H.R. 5652, saying it would put too much of the deficit burden on the needy. The proposal goes to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it is doomed to failure.

The Republican plan is one that “asks nothing of Mr. Exxon, that asks nothing more of hedge fund managers, but asks those who are most vulnerable in our society to share more pain,” said Representative Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat.

No Democrats supported the plan; 16 Republicans opposed it.

This makes me physically ill.

This is a giant finger in the face of social justice.

I don't give a rat's butt about phony wars, foreign concerns or the entire defense industry. Screw them all. They are a leech sucking the life out of civil society.

Why, why, why do we insist on subsidizing this crap? How can the GOP justify its constant whine for smaller government only to continually fund this crap at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens?

Thats a serious "Wow" moment right there.

They are willing to chance letting people starve rather than have their buddies get a tiny amount less on a weighted no bid contract?

This really shows what kind of anti American scum we have running our government. No money to help Americans but we can spend billions killing people who never did anything to us just so we can protect those who spy, steal and murder Americans. Everyone of these traitors need to be lined up and shot.

I don't see what the big deal is, no way this will pass the senate, and even if it did, Obama would veto it. All this does is make republicans look bad.

We really can't go on like this.

Nothing makes sense anymore. I mean it's beyond gridlock to straight up maniacal madness.

Despite the fact that they want us to think the entire country is obese, food banks across the U.S. are having trouble keeping up with demand.

www.worldhunger.org...

But nevermind, we need more hollow tip bullets, for what I don't know...

Am personally going to find out if any of my representatives voted for this and, if so, I will register my dissatisfaction and my intent to work against them in the next election.

It would also likely be very illuminating to see how much lobbying swag each of the Reps voting in favor of this received from the Defense industry.

reply to post by KillerQueen


It's disgusting. More people in misery, I bet the only time the poor were this miserable was in the great depression and the media continue to prevaricate about how the economy is improving. Where, I'd like to know, certainly no from my viewpoint.

I don't begrudge a war if its necessary, like World War II. That I think was necessary. Even thought I think alot of it could've been avoided. They used it then, like they use everything.

None of these pieholes up in D.C. care about the people who put them there. If they did, they wouldn't have frozen the cost of living increase for seniors who had to pay into the system getting no choice in the matter, despite their "promises". The only time people matter is tax time and voting.

They've shown exactly who and what they are, by making sure they get an automatic pay raises even in a tough recession. Must be nice to have a job where you can increase your own paycheck.

Originally posted by buster2010
This really shows what kind of anti American scum we have running our government. No money to help Americans but we can spend billions killing people who never did anything to us just so we can protect those who spy, steal and murder Americans. Everyone of these traitors need to be lined up and shot.

While I can empathise with your anger, shooting people is not going to solve the current problem.



Urban Farming

Growing Power

The answers are out there, people. When the government fails you, you have to step up to the plate. This is being done by people in cities all over America. Get involved, and leave the myopia of the military industrial complex behind. That problem, like all problems, will eventually solve itself.

There is something going on here. They want to cut money from the poor but won't touch the money from the wasteful unneeded projects that they issue. Stuff like funding road replacement projects that aren't necessary or paying in advance for technology research which is obsolete before they acquire the product. Don't pay for research, buy the product after it is completed. The government is so bullwinked that it's ridiculous. Let competition be the reason for technical advancement. Let the little guy get in there and have a swing. Otherwise they are going to surpass the government programs shortly and the government is going to get left behind.

The year of 2012 is the year of awakening. It is also evident to note that it is the begining of the decline of intellect of the greedy and those who hold their intelligence above others. Only the smart that are also good at heart will retain their communication abilities. The frequency is changing, The script is being rewrote, the meek shall now inherit the world.

If the economy was recovering, like the Democrats claim, this wouldn't be an issue now would it?

reply to post by Lord Jules


Well, if it got there. And Obama vetoed it, here is how it would play out:

"Obama is a socialist who hates America. Look! He defends hand outs to those who wont work while making us all weaker and more vulnerable to attack! Why does he hate America so?? How could he betray us so?!"

I promise-that is how those scumbag Cons would play it. And yeah, it damages us all, internally and our credibility with the rest of the world.

I'm not excited one way or the other. They will take what they want and spend it pretty much where they want. Isn't the "official" ATS position that Democrats and Republicans are the same? Anyway, here are some compiled numbers from: 2013 Government spending. They look reasonable. I'm not going to include veteran's spending in defense, because that's largely health care and education, isn't it?

Old Age Pensions $1017.3 Billion
Health Care $1080.1 Billion
Education $ 941.0 Billion
Welfare $ 679.2 Billion
Total $3,717.6 Billion

Other stuff $1,818.1 Billion

Defense $ 716.3 Billion

P.s. Forgive me if I left out the point. We are already handing much more than five times our military budget to people for their welfare. If you cut military spending by 15% you'll only get $107.4 Billion to spend. That's 1/3 of the interest we have to pay on our debt. How much are you willing to spend on defense, seriously? 20%, 15%, 10%? To get to 15% you'd have to increase defense spending (again, not counting veterans).

Originally posted by lordtyp0
Thats a serious "Wow" moment right there.

They are willing to chance letting people starve rather than have their buddies get a tiny amount less on a weighted no bid contract?

How ironic is it that a large number of Americans needing these benefits are current or former members of the armed forces?

I am officially disgusted with my government.

and RP will reduce the military budget by 15%

lolololol

reply to post by abecedarian


The House Budget Committee Chairman is a Republican, Paul Ryan. Additionally, the GOP routinely resists raising corporate tax rates or taxes on the 1%. But they have no problem screwing over middle and lower income citizens. Make of that what you will.

Why is it that people have been warning for years that the Republicans only care about money, yet people still vote for them?? Americans have cut our own throat out of stupidity.

reply to post by CB328


It's a well known political irony that the GOP has amazingly been able to dupe millions of middle-class Americans into routinely voting against their own economic interests in favor of wedge social issues that really mean nothing to their daily lives. It's sick.

reply to post by abecedarian


Our Economy isn't recovering, that is a misconception. How can an Economy recover if it isn't real in the first place? No Economy is really real but this Economy is so outlandish in it's construction that I don't understand how it could have got this far along. We need real jobs where people produce things we use by at least 35 percent of the people. Then the rest of the job market can be consumer based jobs. The problem is that the jobs producing things here in America are high paying but not many of them. Space industry, aircraft, technical, etc. Computer programs and Facebook are not really producing things, neither is Microsoft. We need jobs where a regular IQ person can go work or they become a burden on society. This drags the upper middle class down. No class is an Island, everything depends on everything else. We need work for everyone.

Originally posted by rickymouse
There is something going on here. They want to cut money from the poor but won't touch the money from the wasteful unneeded projects that they issue. Stuff like funding road replacement projects that aren't necessary or paying in advance for technology research which is obsolete before they acquire the product. Don't pay for research, buy the product after it is completed. The government is so bullwinked that it's ridiculous. Let competition be the reason for technical advancement. Let the little guy get in there and have a swing. Otherwise they are going to surpass the government programs shortly and the government is going to get left behind.

The year of 2012 is the year of awakening. It is also evident to note that it is the begining of the decline of intellect of the greedy and those who hold their intelligence above others. Only the smart that are also good at heart will retain their communication abilities. The frequency is changing, The script is being rewrote, the meek shall now inherit the world.

This is exactly the point. Government which does not make itself relevant, in the area of meeting real human need, is government which will simply become irrelevant.

Don't get angry, people. Be hopeful. The government are stepping back from the reins, by doing things like this. Take them up yourselves!

This is an affront to human decency. Absolutely, we must protect the hundreds of billions spent on the military industrial complex because manufacturing bombs, fighter jets, and naval ships are so much more important than feeding hungry children. Let the multinational corporations get away with buying Congress and avoiding paying taxes. Do not forget to keep the taxes low on the speculators who help drive up the cost of food, water, and fuel for transportation. Would cutting the military budget by 50% even hurt us in the least? Absolutely not! I know it, you know it, and they know it.