Bush won't tolerate spending excess, Cheney says [Free Republic]

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Bush won't tolerate spending excess, Cheney says: Government News Keywords: BUDGET
Source: Mpls (red)Star Tribune / AP
Published: 3/4/01 Author: BRIGITTE GREENBERG
Posted on 03/05/2001 05:59:01 PST by Valin

WASHINGTON
President Bush will veto any annual spending bill that costs more than he wants, Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday, warning Republicans not to stray from the administration's budget priorities.
Only days ago, budget writers in the House and Senate questioned whether they could stay within the budget levels Bush has proposed - a 4 percent increase for discretionary programs, which constitute everything the government does, except automatically paid benefits like Medicaid.
"If, in fact, bills come down with items in it that he thinks are inappropriate or excessive in terms of the total amount, I don't think he will be bashful about using his veto," Cheney said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "I think we'll come to something very close to what the president has recommended."
The vice president was responding to a question about comments by the Senate Budget Committee chairman, Republican Pete Domenici of New Mexico, who said the 4 percent increase would be "very hard to live on" and that Congress has different spending priorities than the president's.

In the House, committee chairmen have raised the possibility of higher spending on agriculture and science, for example.
Over the past three years, discretionary spending has increased by an average of more than 6 percent annually. Last year, it grew by 8 1/2 percent, which Cheney said was unacceptable.
"As soon as the surplus arrived, Congress and the prior administration started spending money in a rather profligate fashion," said Cheney, dismissing the notion that the Bush administration is trying to starve the government.

Under Bush's plan, the $635 billion discretionary budget for fiscal 2001 would rise to $661 billion in 2002. Increases would come in education, defense, health research and embassy security, while cuts would hit at least 10 federal agencies, including the departments of Interior and Transportation.

Democrats complain that Bush's overall budget plan - which features a $1.6 trillion, 10-year tax cut and $2 trillion in debt reduction - is unfair to the middle class and poor. They say the tax cut is weighted toward the rich and that Bush has understated the cost by $1 trillion, an underestimate they say threatens education and other priorities. Democrats prefer a $750 billion tax cut.
Republicans last week pushed the Bush tax cut through the House Ways and Means Committee on a party-line 23-15 vote.

Democrats also contend the Bush plan relies on questionable budgetary and surplus projections a decade into the future.
"It is impossible for us to forecast what's going to happen 10 years from now, and make a decision today as to what we are going to do," Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on Ways and Means Committee, told CNN's "Late Edition."

Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said the Bush administration is not claiming to be able to predict the future but that the existence of a huge surplus today proves that taxes are too high.
"We don't get a chance to decide 'maybe.' We get a chance to decide, 'Are we going to send the people's money back to them when we know we've got surpluses?"' he told NBC's "Meet the Press." "Let's not think about 10 years."
O'Neill also took issue with GOP critics in Congress, telling "Fox News Sunday" that a 4 percent increase is not "Swiss cheese" and that they and congressional Democrats have been living in Washington's "never-never land," where an increase can be considered a decrease.
"It ought to be a cakewalk to live within 4 percent," he said.

"If, in fact, bills come down with items in it that he thinks are inappropriate or excessive in terms of the total amount, I don't think he will be bashful about using his veto,"

Good news

1 Posted on 03/05/2001 05:59:01 PST by Valin
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To: Valin

Just wait until next year...he has not even had time to really review all the programs out there yet...we will see more Govt. cutbacks...I can't wait to watch the Dems go into the "DTs" from withdrawal, LOL!

2 Posted on 03/05/2001 06:16:30 PST by ravingnutter
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To: ravingnutter

I can't wait to watch the Dems go into the "DTs" from withdrawal, LOL!

OH YOU CRUEL HEARTLESS PERSON!!

I like it.

3 Posted on 03/05/2001 06:26:23 PST by Valin
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