Hill GOP exploring deeper spending cuts

[Judi Lynn]

Wednesday, February 11, 2004


©2003 bondware
all rights reserved

Hill GOP exploring deeper spending cuts
By ALAN FRAM / Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Republicans are exploring whether they have the votes to curtail spending more than President Bush has proposed, reflecting their desire to flash signs of fiscal responsibility in this election year.

While Bush used his 2005 budget last week to propose holding most domestic programs to growth of 0.5 percent — well below the inflation rate — many conservatives want to go further. They are writing plans to hold such spending to last year's levels or make actual cuts — and to be more aggressive than Bush's goal of halving the mammoth federal deficit in five years.

"We don't think it goes far enough," Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., a conservative leader, said of Bush's plan for spending restraint. "We're not going to harm things by doing a freeze. That's not asking much of people."

House Republicans planned to meet behind closed doors Wednesday to agree on the direction they would take this year in writing a budget.
(snip/...)

http://reviewappeal.midsouthnews.com/news.ez?viewStory=18740

[unblock]

1. hoist by their own petard?

politicians usually don't to well by clamping down on spending during an election year, that's when you want to throw around the largess and bring home the pork.

the reactionary right wanted insane deficits in order to starve out 'democratic' programs. it would be lovely if it instead starved out republican re-election pork....

[UpInArms]

2. They should start by

rolling their salaries back to $7.15 per hour -

since that is what "minimum" wage is now frozen at in Washington State -

I am being really "generous" here because most states don't even worry about pegging their minimum wage to the cost of living -

This should be plenty, since they say that there is no inflation (don't pay attention to those rising prices at the grocery store!).

These pigs at the trough (their salaries courtesy of the US taxpayer) have given themselves some nice hefty raises in the past two years - while their leader in thief supports the exportation of our jobs - and Greenspin says that people won't work for $2 an hour (when we have already seen the reality of $2/day Walmart workers).

[Mel]

6. No No No

$5.50 that's the 'minimum' States Rights, auck! States Rights, auck! wage in NC and let's also do away with their insurance coverage and see how they like it.

[bigtime]

3. well good for them

At least they are being honest that having huge tax cuts does have some cost. They've been giving out candy to the voters for three years, now it is time to tell the voters to eat their peas. Probably not going to be real popular though...

[ComerPerro]

4. Just an excuse

So they can gut social programs, health care, social security, and most importantly education.

Greedy motherfuckers.

[dusty64]

5. Exactly.

I'm sure the massive corporate welfare and goodies to the superwealthy will NOT be touched.

[catmandu57]

7. This scares me

really, their starvation of govt. help for the poor and disabled will directly affect me. We get by right now, but, it wouldn't take much to put serious problems in our way.
My wife doesn't know how scared I am of these idiots totally stealing the govt. If my funding is cutoff, we're done. I just can't see how we survive on her income alone.