Rand Paul’s Budget Kills Departments of Commerce, Education, Housing, and Energy

Pajamas Media ^ | 03/25/2013 | Bridget Johnson

[SeekAndFind]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) today introduced a budget he says will balance the budget in five years with $2.3 trillion in tax cuts.

Paul’s “Platform to Revitalize America” brings spending below the historical average of 19.1 percent of GDP in the first year and spends $9.6 trillion less over the next 10 years based on the current Congressional Budget Office baseline. It achieves a $17 billion surplus in FY2018 and reforms entitlement programs — Medicare recipients, for example, would receive the same healthcare plan as members of Congress.

It replenishes $126 billion to the Defense Department stripped in sequestration and puts an annual cap on foreign aid at $5 billion. The plan also repeals ObamaCare and Dodd Frank.

Paul’s budget kills four government agencies: the departments of Commerce, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Energy. It also privatizes the Transportation Security Administration.

“Washington has a serious and reckless spending problem that must be re-evaluated. American families across the country are required to live by a budget and Congress should be no different – every taxpayer dollar needs to be spent more wisely. Therefore, I am offering a plan that will address this country’s looming debt crisis in a truly timely manner – balancing the budget in just five years,” Paul said. “The time has come for a change that will restore fiscal order in this country, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this happens.”

His budget includes a flat tax and lifts barriers to domestic energy exploration and production.

UPDATE: Late this evening the Senate voted on Paul’s budget as an amendment to the continuing resolution. It failed 18-81.

[jz638]

Where bold plans like this fall flat for me is the ‘how’, not the ‘what’. There are few if any on this forum who express any support for the department of education, but if you would kill it, what happens to all those programs currently in place for grants and financial aid? What of all the student loans underwritten and outstanding?

Let the looters swing? Yeah, that ain’t going to work when the looters can tie up any reforms with lawsuits and get voted into office the very next election, claiming the reformers are trying to destroy the nation or alternatively unable to prove any results from the ties up reforms.

Weaning the American populace off the government teat is not going to be easy, the judiciary is not on the side of strict constitutionalists, nor is academia, the media, or much of the business world which has developed a codependence to the stability a government ‘in’ gives then. Big reforms need to be done smartly and explained clearly (and often... and tenaciously) and they’ll need to be unwound in the same way they were wound in the first place: with support of congress and approval, sometimes haltingly, of the judical branch.

One of the constitution’s key benefits is that any one administration can’t drastically change the direction of the government quickly. This is also one of it’s key problems if you don’t like the way things are going. If you can claim the ability to enact big changes, so can your successor, in the opposite direction or further. A lot of people will be motivated to stop the unwinding of big government from the throat of liberty because they’d lose their sugar daddy. This has to be factored into whatever plan is ultimately put into place, and pursued more relentlessly than its attackers with a passion for justice and freedom, not punishment and retribution. Assuming a burst of constitional adherance will just wake America out of some sort of funk and everything will be peaches and cream from here on out is just circlejerk material.

[SunkenCiv]

• ...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said. [Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften [immigration, gay marriage] stance]

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• One day after announcing on his radio show that he is "truly considering" running in 2014 for the U.S. Senate seat now held by New Jersey's Frank Lautenberg, Rivera amped up his message today in a television interview and a column on the Fox News Latino website... a moderate Republican who is fiscally conservative but also supports gay marriage and Roe v. Wade... [Geraldo Rivera declares himself a 'moderate Republican' as he eyes U.S. Senate run]

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[American Constitutionalist]

The Paul budget does not cut the budget far enough even though I am happy with it.
Also cut out the E.P.A. and the Department of Home Land Security and send it to the states.
Find other departments and agencies that can co-exsist in the same frame of operations or cut it out totally.

[American Constitutionalist]

" What do you propose to replace the IRS with? "

Easy, less taxes means more jobs, a growing economy.

[ducttape45]

I see that neither senator from Indiana voted for it. Coats and Donnelly, what a pair...................

[Truth2012]

Anything to get rid of the Department of ED! YES!!

[American Constitutionalist]

If this is actually voted on and passed and the President signs it you will see the largest spurt of growth in this country not since Ronald Reagan administration.
Also the value of the dollar would increase.

[dalereed]

A reasonable start, how about agriculture, homeland security, and all the rest of the socialist commissions?

[manc]

what are yoiu on about, liberal tarians can have their own party and their own fiscal issues.
They might agree with republicans on certain fiscal issues but they also support a communist agenda like marriage, drugs, and are in more agreement wiht the far left and occupy

[American Constitutionalist]

Actually ? what the idea of the Department of Energy should have been in the first place should have been some kind of private organisation that worked together with industry and the private sector, also the public to solicite ideas in how our energy should be developed and big government stay out of it.
The Department of Energy should be privatized.

[manc]

that is a dream world.

sounds great but have no idea how to replace it

[JohnPDuncan]

Here’s a good video for you... Losertarian Peter Schiff goes to Occupy Wall Street to educate them fools.

He’s a proud member of the 1%.

Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGL-Ex1CD1c

[American Constitutionalist]

Let the states collect the taxes and what is owed to the Fed government will be pass onto them.

[manc]

thanks I will watch it when I get away from here and can open the link.

They have more in common with the radcial left than with us and yet they want it both ways and have the left join them and the right join them

[American Constitutionalist]

" The completely corrupt Bureau of Indian Affairs casinos "

There now, fixed.

[American Constitutionalist]

Stretch it out over a 10 year plan instead of a 5 year plan to make it less painful.
Those who do not belong in this country will see that the government feeding troth is close for business and will self deport themselves.
For the rest of us ? yes, it will be painful, and we should not kid ourselves into believing that it's not going to be painful to cut the budget but it has to be done or we will all be done for in a economy that has crashed.

[American Constitutionalist]

” Coats and Donnelly, what a pair “ Dumb and Dumber

[JohnPDuncan]

Your wrong Manc!! Schiff is trying to educate them. Libertarians (commonly called Losertarians round here) have nothing in common with the left except for maybe a respect for civil liberties and the Bill of Rights.

That’s what Rand’s filibuster was about. He doesn’t want the president labeling someone a ‘terrorist’ and then being able to assassinate them. If the president accuses someone of a crime they should be able to get due process and that means a day in court.

[manc]

I have to see it but not tonight as I can’t open the link here

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

The EEOC and the NLRB could go, too.