[HChampagne]

I have not seen any specific cut items from the GOP nor the DEMs. Why doesn’t someone on FR start a thread on this. You guys could come up with some great specifics that need the knife.

[KantianBurke]

“I have not seen any specific cut items from the GOP”

Nor will you. The facts are stark and unavoidable: Medicare, Medicaid & S.S. need to be put on a diet or taxes will have to skyrocket. Period. End of story. No GOPer is going to touch that with a ten foot poll. Its easier to demagogue. I’ll change my tune when the GOP announces the first item to be put on the chopping block is Medicare Part D.

[Zeddicus]

I have not seen any specific cut items from the GOP nor the DEMs. Why doesn’t someone on FR start a thread on this. You guys could come up with some great specifics that need the knife.

Ok, I'll play. Not raising the debt ceiling would mean an instantaneous ~40% cut in Federal spending. So, we start by completely eliminating some entire Federal departments/programs, such as Education, Health & Human Services, Interior, federal unemployment extension, 100% off all foreign aid, contributions to the UN, IMF, etc.

Then, what's left is given an across-the-board 40% haircut. Everything - Social security, medicare, medicaid, the military, all of it - 40% less funding.

Then, we have a national discussion about what we really want to spend our limited Federal revenues on and rebalance as needed, within the constraint of actual revenues.

[ex-snook]

You guys could come up with some great specifics that need the knife.

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Let’s get started on spending in other countries first. Bring troops home, end nation building, stop foreign aid, rework trade deals to end exporting jobs and Treasuries, charge other nations for providing them security. End foreign spending before we throw Americans off the bridge.

[hinckley buzzard]

The GOP-led House passed the Ryan budget. You might start there.