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Bush Unveils Plan to Restrain Spending
Talon News / GOP USA ^ | Feb. 2, 2004 | Jeff Gannon

Posted on 02/02/2004 7:44:58 AM PST by prairiebreeze

Talon News) -- Like a coach preparing his team for the big game, President Bush addressed the "Congress of Tomorrow" luncheon in Philadelphia on Saturday. In the city where he was proclaimed the Republican nominee nearly four years ago, Bush thanked members of his party's congressional majority for supporting his agenda and called on them to do more in 2004.

The president praised House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) as well as members of the GOP leadership including Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rick Santorum (R-PA), and John Kyl (R-AZ), Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), and Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Deborah Pryce (R-OH).

President Bush recounted the last three years during which he took the country to war "to uphold the most solemn duty of government, and that is to protect its people" and worked with Congress to heal the psyche of the country that was wounded by the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Bush was upbeat when he said, "History has dealt us a hand, and we're playing it well for the American people."

"These are historic times, because we're at war -- you're a war Congress," Bush said.

He reiterated his desire not only to fight and win the war against terror, but also to promote American values of freedom.

Bush repeated a thematic line, "Freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each person who lives in this world."

Bush pointed out that a recession was underway when he took office, with negative growth for the first three quarters of 2001. He added that the economy was further damaged by corporate scandals and the most devastating terrorist attack in American history. Bush said that because of the quick action taken, "Instead of the economy still languishing as a result of some incredible problems we face, it's now growing, and it's getting stronger."

The President emphasized the importance of keeping the economy growing.

He said, "One of the things we've shown the American people is we understand how the economy works. The economy doesn't work by growing government; the economy works by growing people's wallets so they can spend, save or invest."

Bush said that he would use the recovery he attributes to the tax cuts as a platform to make them permanent.

Bush then touched on a few legislative initiatives such as free trade and tort reform before addressing the issue of fiscal responsibility.

He began by saying, "One clear signal we need to send to the American people and the markets is we're going to be wise when it comes to the expenditure of the people's money."

Conservatives have been grumbling about the explosive growth in spending by the Bush administration. Their discontent was exacerbated last week when a new estimate for the prescription drug benefit Bush personally lobbied Congress for might cost $535 billion instead of $400 billion.

But the president boldly asked the Congress to work with him on the budget he would submit on Monday indicating their futures were intertwined.

He stated, "You spend; I propose. Together we're responsible."

The president revealed his plan in his weekly radio address. He maintains that overall discretionary spending will grow at less than four percent and non-security-related spending would rise less than one percent, the smallest such proposed increase in 12 years.

He will propose to make spending limits the law to assure that Congress observes spending discipline. His plan calls for every additional dollar the Congress wants to spend in excess of spending limits must be matched by a dollar in spending cuts elsewhere.

Bush was adamant when he said, "Budget limits must mean something, and not just serve as vague guidelines to be routinely violated. This single change in the procedures of the Congress would bring further spending restraint to Washington."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; plan; restrain; spending
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To: Nonstatist
non-security-related spending

By whose definition?

41 posted on 02/02/2004 12:18:01 PM PST by Huck (Hold on to your wallet--the President's awake!)
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To: Your Nightmare
It looks like the 'averages' were based on the entire term of a President. My knowledge of budgets is minimal, but without without the full term of budgets being considered, the 'averages' of each wouldn't be comparable.

It appears that the incomplete picture is presented simply because it is incomplete. '05 numbers should allow them to make their adjustments to the chart.
42 posted on 02/02/2004 12:47:12 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: prairiebreeze
No one - except government - has ever spent more money than they make? Maybe until the credit card balances catch up - but the premise is to spend less than you make and save a little for old age and your younguns. Neither Republicans nor Democrats seem to get it.
43 posted on 02/02/2004 12:47:24 PM PST by sandydipper (Never quit - never surrender!)
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To: Sabertooth
Cheap shot about the alcohol.

Well, Ok. But he's spending like a drunken sailor.

44 posted on 02/02/2004 1:03:44 PM PST by searchandrecovery (America - The NEW Third World!)
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To: searchandrecovery
Drunken sailor. You've been watching the dems campaign, too! LOL
45 posted on 02/02/2004 1:09:34 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: windchime
Drunken sailor. You've been watching the dems campaign, too! LOL

Nah, if I was parroting dem talking points, I'd say Bush was spending like a drunken sailor gone AWOL.

46 posted on 02/02/2004 1:28:39 PM PST by searchandrecovery (America - The NEW Third World!)
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To: WOSG
"You neglect to mention we've had a war on and 9/11 happened"

What do your two points have to do with my statement?

I'm giving the guy a lot of credit for being an expert politician.

Don't you think his strategy (or strategery) was an incredibly brilliant move?

Seriously, the "spending limits" will pacify the fiscal conservatives who are critical of big government and everyone will forget about the deficit spending of the last 3 years.

Absolutely brilliant.
47 posted on 02/02/2004 1:49:20 PM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: searchandrecovery
The Real Military Record of George W. Bush: Not Heroic, but Not AWOL, Either
48 posted on 02/02/2004 3:22:34 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: WhiteGuy; windchime; All
"When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything. "I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. And I agreed with FDR, who said in 1933: 'I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.'

"If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it. ~~ Ronald Reagan, in his autobiography, An American Life

kayak posted this on another thread. NOBODY states it better. Kudo's to you President Reagan, you are missed sir.

Prairie

49 posted on 02/02/2004 4:34:50 PM PST by prairiebreeze (WMD's in Iraq -- The absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.)
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To: WOSG
meant to ping you to #49 too

Prairie
50 posted on 02/02/2004 4:36:07 PM PST by prairiebreeze (WMD's in Iraq -- The absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.)
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To: Mulder
I know, I just hate it when I go out, and all those people are following me, telling me where I can go, what I can do, what I can say, what religion I can practice. Telling me I have to work, or not. Who I can vote for, or not.

It just frustrates me.
51 posted on 02/02/2004 4:42:47 PM PST by Vets_Husband_and_Wife
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To: Lizavetta; PhiKapMom; prairiebreeze; Mulder
Just the facts:

Comparison of Bush Budget (FY’04) with Past Budget Averages

FY’04
Proposal
Post-WWII
Average
(FY’46 - FY’02)
Clinton
Budgets
(FY’94 – FY’01)
G.H.W. Bush
Budgets
(FY’90 - FY’93)
Reagan
Budgets
(FY’82 - FY’89)
Total Receipts as percent of GDP
17.0%
17.9%
19.4%
17.7%
18.0%
Total outlays as percent of GDP
19.7%
19.5%
19.6%
22.0%
22.3%
Deficit (-)/Surplus as percent of GDP
-2.7%
-1.6%
-0.1%
-4.3%
-4.3%
Annual growth in total receipts (average % change from previous fiscal year, FY96 $)
2.7%
2.9%
4.9%
0.5%
2.5%
Annual growth in total outlays (average % change from previous fiscal year, FY96 $)
2.2%
2.3%
1.5%
1.9%
2.7%
Defense spending as a percent of total outlays
17.5%
35.5%
17.1%
21.7%
26.7%
Non-defense discretionary spending as a percent of total outlays
19.2%
19.4%*
17.6%
16.6%
17.1%
Net interest costs as percent of total outlays
7.9%
10.5%*
13.9%
14.5%
13.2%
Other mandatory spending as a percent of total outlays
55.4%
41.6%*
51.4%
46.2%
42.9%
Debt held by public at end of fiscal year as percent of GDP
36.9%
44.0%
43.0%
46.3%
36.7%
Gross Debt at end of fiscal year as percentof GDP
64.8%
56.2%
63.4%
61.8%
45.4%
* includes only data back to 1962 since the distinction between discretionary and mandatory began only in that year.

 

 


To comment on Tax Foundation materials, call 202.464.6200,
e-mail the Tax Foundation at , or
write us at 1900 M Street, N.W., Suite 550, Washington, D.C. 20036

©2004 Tax Foundation


52 posted on 02/02/2004 4:55:08 PM PST by Vets_Husband_and_Wife
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To: Vets_Husband_and_Wife
LOL!
53 posted on 02/02/2004 5:01:58 PM PST by prairiebreeze (WMD's in Iraq -- The absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.)
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To: prairiebreeze
Compromise.......................

I've got one vote.

One single solitary opportunity to influence the course of our government for the next 2, 4, or 6 years (depending on the office in question).

I personally don't think that my ONE vote matters to anyone except me.

The politicians who appear as candidates on the ballot at my community polling place, don't know me, my family, or my neighbors. They know about demographics and polls, but not necessarily about real people.

What they are seeking is power and money. I don't blame them for this, we all need both in some form in our lives.

They receive power and money, and in exchange they "serve" the people. Their service tends to usually only enhance their own desire for power and money. (Getting re-elected is the primary objective of almost ALL politicians).

So if the candidate for office, who wants more votes than their opponent, wishes to influence the largest number of people to vote in their favor, what do they do?

They pander to the largest number of people in their district (or country). This is obvious to anyone who is remotely aware of current events.

Pandering is a tough business, it requires a candidate to be an expert at the art of compromise.

Compromise, for a politician usually means compromising the spirit of the law for the benefit of a group of voters or a group of political contributors.

This is the system as it exists today. it's all about compromise, isn't it.

I encourage everyone to vote for whomever they please.

I've got one vote.

I'm not willing to compromise.
54 posted on 02/02/2004 5:40:33 PM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: WhiteGuy
It's not only the system, all of life is full of compromise. There are trade-offs for everything. Consequences vs. choices. Give and take exists in nearly every human relationship or experience. I'm not willing to squander my vote (which I do regard as mattering) because I'm upset that my candidate has made "compromises", or choices which neither I nor the candidate may support 100%. Yet, compromise must be reached, choices must be made.

It's very difficult in life to get everything that we want. Sometimes perhaps, but usually we are forced to choose and determine our priorities. President Bush has my vote because I agree with 90% of the choices he's made and actions he's taken in his presidency. The other 10% is a compromise I can make.

Prairie

55 posted on 02/02/2004 5:52:31 PM PST by prairiebreeze (WMD's in Iraq -- The absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.)
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To: prairiebreeze
Good for you.

It sounds like you can rest easily with the choice you are making.

If I agreed with 90% of the positions and the consequences of an incumbent politician, I could possibly compromise on a few minor issues.

I think for some it's more a matter of the scope of the areas of disagreement than the concept of the good outweighing the bad.

We all have our list of nonnegotiables.
56 posted on 02/02/2004 6:03:11 PM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: prairiebreeze; kayak
"They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything."

I think that used to be called a 'spoiled brat'.
57 posted on 02/02/2004 6:25:19 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: Mulder
Keep your face buried in your philosophy textbook. I'd hate to have you break your own heart by looking up and actually seeing what a great country you actually live in.
58 posted on 02/02/2004 6:27:27 PM PST by Miles Vorkosigan
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To: akbaines
NOT FREE? Compared to what? Heaven?

This is not a Free country.

Sure, you're free to obey the law and free to pay your taxes.

But you're not Free to travel, or Free to bear arms. In many places, you're not even Free to speak your mind. You're really not even Free to do what you please with your own property.

59 posted on 02/02/2004 6:32:28 PM PST by Mulder (Fight the future)
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To: Miles Vorkosigan
I'd hate to have you break your own heart by looking up and actually seeing what a great country you actually live in.

If you're happy and you know it, clank your chains....

60 posted on 02/02/2004 6:34:31 PM PST by Mulder (Fight the future)
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