Posted on 11/29/2015 9:33:47 AM PST by smoothsailing
November 28, 2015
If you don’t enmesh yourself in fully understanding the intricate details of how Washington DC is playing “UniParty” it is almost impossible to keep track of their maneuvers; this too is entirely by design.
As you read this, remember there is no actual federal budget in place. Despite Republicans in control of the House and Senate they never passed a budget for fiscal year 2016 which began October 1st last month. This was/is I.N.T.E.N.T.I.O.N.A.L.
This non-budget SPENDING aspect is critically important to understand because the GOPe forward priorities, which are in full alignment with the White House, are dependent on the electorate not understanding the difference between the budget process, and a process of continuing resolutions.
This cannot be overemphasized – because if you don’t understand the difference, you fall trap to believing there’s an actual pea under a shell. There isn’t !
The last thing Speaker Boehner did was pass a long enough “continuing resolution” to take the spending process all the way through March of 2017. Yes, that is correct, all the way to the next President’s statutorily required (constitutionally required) budget proposal.
In order to extend the spending THAT FAR – it had to be constructed without a debt ceiling limit on how much they could spend. So Boehner removed the ceiling and the House passed the entire scheme.
Continuing resolution, unlimited spending, no ceiling on debt – Got it?
♦ Why was/is that needed? Simple, because the GOPe had, and have, no intention of undermining any spending within existing legislation and/or currently baseline funded programs underway.
In essence, the short version is: every program on the books has the capacity for continued funding without limit. The only action that “COULD” be taken, is “unfunding” by writing a law removing the program. The budgetary process is completely removed – if you want to stop a program, congress would have to take action. If they do nothing, it’s funded.
♦ What that means? Well, example: DACA the illegal and unconstitutional executive amnesty (DHS) program is funded, even while it sits in suspended mode due to Judge Andrew Hanen’s injunction. It would take an act of congress to “unfund” it – if they do nothing, it’s funded. See how that works?
Another example: ObamaCare, the programs (all subsidiary dependent programs) related to ObamaCare are funded. Remember, under the CR there is no upward limit on the spending, there is no debt ceiling – the deficit can expand without boundary. The only way to eliminate any aspect of Obamacare consequence is to “defund” the program. Again, doing nothing, means the program is funded.
That’s two GOPe examples. But wait, it gets better.
Here’s where the tricky GOPe play out a narrative to assist their team. Check this out:
The campaign selling point, also promoted by the Decepticon GOPe, is that Candidate Marco Rubio inserted a rider into a 2014 bill saying all of O-Care’s risk corridor expenditures have to come from existing O-Care budgeting. The obscure but ridiculously expensive program inside O-Care law known as “risk corridors†was designed to shield insurers against losses:
[…] The risk corridors program was designed to be a temporary stopgap against high insurance claims during the first three years of the new federal program.
If an insurer had more expenses than it planned, the federal government would cover the remaining balance using cash collected from companies that paid out fewer claims than expected. (read more)
So Rubio is being praised for a mechanism to block additional funding for “risk corridors”, which are essentially taxpayer funded insurance company bailouts.
Sounds good right?
… Except when you realize; wait, there’s no budget in place to control the spending.
Wait, wha… huh?
Using math I’ll give you an example:
Rubio’s block says you can’t spend more than “X” (let’s say 10%) on risk corridors, without taking the money from another segment of the O-Care pie, say “Y”. However, without a budget there’s nothing to stop O-Care from enlarging the size of the pie pan.
O-care at $1 Trillion means 10% = $100 billion (X).
But if the O-Care risk corridor bailout needs $150 billion all congress needs to do is make top line larger. O-Care becomes $1.5 Trillion, and 10% remains but is now $150 billion (X got bigger).
This is what happens when you don’t have a budget, spending limit, or debt ceiling. Thanks Boehner.
Rubio is being patted on the back with credit for attacking Obamacare, however, it’s an attack in name only. The spending mechanism is always there, because there’s no budgetary process to limit the size of the pie.
It’s a complete falsehood that Rubio is defunding insurance carriers within the risk corridors. It’s phoney baloney.
This phoney “campaign talking point” is clearly evidenced within this recent Omnibus Spending revelation:
[…] According to tax lobbyists and House staffers, the tentative deal now under consideration is being developed by all congressional leaders and the White House. The extenders are likely to be attached to the omnibus budget legislation expected to pass Congress by December 11.
The plan under consideration would also delay the medical device tax in exchange for additional funding for ACA risk corridors, which is a program that allows federal payments to insurers to offset high losses in the initial years of the ACA. (read more)
See how that works?
Meanwhile Rubio can go around campaigning, gnashing his teeth and proclaiming he is trying to block taxpayer funded bailouts of ObamaCare insurance companies….
…RIDICULOUS.
Do you think a single reporter, pundit or debate moderator would ask him why there’s no federal budget this year?
Nah, me neither.
And they wonder why we support Donald Trump !
Go figure.
Anybody but Trump or Cruz.
Even “THE RUBE”
Actually, I think the mess that has become the budget process began when Hussein and the Demon Rats seized control of the levers of power.
Beginning at that time, Hairy Reed and Nasty Pelozi refused to pass a true budget, and Valerie’s obedient man child went along...
Now that the Republicans (for all their warts) have at least control of the legislative branch, they can have some say in the spending of the federal government. But there is still an obstinate ass occupying the executive branch, and like it or not they have to deal with that ass.
I know it very very popular to rage against the machine here, and some may be justified. But painting every DC occupant as a wicked hater is not accurate.
Trump blasted Rube in Sarasota yesterday.
Worst voting record in Senate, his seat there is cold.
Gang of 8 until his polling tanked
Why doesn’t he represent the people of Florida and show up to vote
Been in Senate a short time already wants higher office, has no accomplishments in present job.
The weakest on immigration.
Tries to say he is tough of terrorism, yet terrorists are caught crossing our countries border.
Rube Boobio a very light weight guy who sweats a lot, can’t stand toe to toe with Putin.
Republicans have the power to put bills on Obama’s desk and they refuse to do so. They make his life all to easy. They deserve all the criticism and ridicule they receive.
Trump talking about this at that rally brought thunderous applause!
We'll be down to Kasich before we know it and Trump and Cruz will still be standing above them all.
The Sarasota rally? I havn’t had a chance to watch that except for a clip of the heckler incident. Did the ever identify the woman heckler?
“I know it very very popular to rage against the machine here, and some may be justified. But painting every DC occupant as a wicked hater is not accurate.”
Well, it’s the 99% of them that make the 1% look bad.
It was Karl Rove in drag. LOL
You have to watch that rally. Trump has evolved. Even better.
The GOP is PROUD it created and imposed, by Gruber,
RomneyCARE = ObamaCARE = HillaryCARE,
and PROUD it supports al Qaeda,
and PROUD it supports open borders and ObamaTRADE,
and PROUD it has gotten away
... again with lying to the electorate.
Thanks, I’ll definitely watch it.
They will never, ever, EVER repeal ObamaCare. It’s too important for them to use as a carrot for us to vote for the GOPe in every election.
Here is my concern with Cruz. Could he actually do something about this? I know he wants to. But would he be able to go around Congress?
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