FReepers must make the list. A specific and pragmatic list.
FReepers must do grassroots organizing to push politicians to commit to specific eliminations.
FReepers must submit recommendations (and demands?) using the official pathways.
FReepers must support CATO, Heritage, etc on specific things they want to eliminate.
This is a political campaign all over again.
I agree.
At the moment I would not be able to create a specific list, but given a few weeks of thinking about it, I could come up with a few specific downsizings and I am certain the more learned members at Free Republic could come up with even more specific areas to downsize the Federal Government.
I agree.
At the moment I would not be able to create a specific list, but given a few weeks of thinking about it, I could come up with a few specific downsizings and I am certain the more learned members at Free Republic could come up with even more specific areas to downsize the Federal Government.
Politicians are primarily in the legislative branch. What constitutional authority do they have to determine the outcome or direction of such a process?
This executive order is aimed squarely at the executive branch, which the President controls.
Do us a favor and start a new post and label it: Deconstructing the regulatory state!
Then Freepers can post their suggestions and highlight the suggestions where they have personal knowledge and provide specific documentations.
Then Trump’s people will have another source of where to cut.
This is just an initial outline, but . . .
http://federal-budget.insidegov.com/l/120/2017-Estimate
Dept. of Agriculture $133,302,534,318
Farm subsidies, even those for people I like or products I buy should be eliminated. Phase them out over a short period (three to five years) to avoid the economic shock of a sudden cut off. Keep the food safety inspections.
Dept. of Commerce $9,280,183,034
Small but should be gone over line by line.
Dept. of Defense - Military Programs $516,397,395,283
“Pork” - projects funded only to make congressional districts happy need to go, and priorities need to be set. We need more readiness and less diversity training or ohter social engineering.
Dept. of Education $60,223,512,847
Eliminate the department and all its funding. No exceptions. Phase it out over three to five years with the amounts going to states as unconditional block grants.
Dept. of Energy $26,727,384,723
Other than nuclear weapons (which should transfer to the Department of Defense), eliminate the department, phasing it out over 3-5 years.
Dept. of Health and Human Services $1,007,294,966,561
This one is tricky and political, but I’d like to see the right cuts here - and politically-motivated funding disappear.
Dept. of Homeland Security $42,018,655,403
Like the military, there is good stuff here, but it should be reviewed line by line. Border Patrol and ICE should be expanded.
Dept. of Housing and Urban Development $35,848,292,854
Not a federal role; phase it out.
Dept. of the Interior $13,234,776,487
This is a small expense, but BLM needs to be scaled back.
Dept. of Justice $31,040,126,715
I’d need to look at the details, but I think this is mostly okay. The exception is BATFE, which should be eliminated with most of its laws repealed.
Dept. of Labor $44,845,124,956
This is not a federal function, and it needs to be cut deeply.
Dept. of State $25,400,387,187
A lot of this can be cut, but we need some of what State does.
Dept. of Transportation $75,526,223,160
A mixed bag - keep the interstate highways and maintain our bridges better. Eliminate high speed rail and other boondoggles.
Dept. of the Treasury $544,077,789,510
I’d like to see the details here. Obviously we pay the interest we owe, but I’m not sure what else is there.
Dept. of Veterans Affairs $158,588,525,167
This is a moral obligation, and it needs to be done right.
Environmental Protection Agency $7,649,595,212
Zero this out. Transfer their law enforcement functions to the FBI. Otherwise, if Congress wants regulatory laws, they can write those laws themselves.
General Services Administration $1,129,883,843
I’m pretty much okay with this small expenditure.
International Assistance Programs $23,257,655,755
Phase this out over a 2 year period - then zero, even for our strongest ally, Israel.
NASA $16,944,737,768
I like NASA, but the question is not “what’s cool”, it’s “What can we afford?” Can we make enough cuts elsewhere that NASA is an appropriate use of our children’s tax dollars?
Social Security Administration $907,837,909,186
Social Security for the elderly is a contractual obligation and should not be touched for those currently retired or within 10 years of retirement. For those younger, keep increasing the retirement age gradually to 70 or 71, instead of hte current increase to 67 but at the same slow rate. As for social security disability, that should be a temporary, transition thing for most “disabled” on the program. Too many see it as a gold mine when they have milder problems than friends or relatives of mine who still work.
Other Departments and Agencies $181,793,382,611
Again, line by line.
Allowances $12,146,251,319
Again, line by line.