Bush Takes on Big Senate Spending - Statement on Pres’ Responsible Highway and Transit Budget

Bush-Cheney '04 ^ | Feb 12, 2004 | Bush-Cheney '04

[PhiKapMom]

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Statement Regarding the President’s Responsible Highway and Transit Budget

The President has charted a course for cutting the budget deficit in half in five years. We must fund our priorities of winning the war on terror, defending the homeland, and creating jobs -- and we must hold the line on spending in other areas.

The President's budget proposes a responsible $256 billion in highway and transit spending, which represents a 21 percent increase over the previous six-year period and a responsible approach to improve highway safety and curb congestion. The President also has made clear that he will oppose a highway bill that increases the gas tax, taps the general Treasury, or hides the true cost to taxpayers.

With passage of an excessive $318 billion highway funding bill, the Senate today missed an important opportunity to rein in spending. It is disappointing that the bill significantly exceeds the President's budget and fails to meet the responsible principles outlined by the Administration.

The President is committed to work with Congress to pass a highway bill that adheres to principles of spending restraint. The President's senior advisers will recommend a veto of any highway bill that includes excessive spending and violates these principles, including the bill passed by the Senate.

[Austin Willard Wright]

that's drop in the bucket

[Mudboy Slim]

"Sure, if Dubya does right, I'll praise him. Heck, I even praised Clinton when he signed welfare reform though, of course, I never "supported" him in a broader sense."

I ain't NEVER praised Slick Willie...LOL!! Some things are simply beyond the pale.

"The point here is that all of this is a drop in the pocket compared to the budget-busting Medicare Bill. Let's keep things in perspective here: we are talking about the comparison of pennies versus dollars..."

Granted, we LOST in the Prescrition Drug debate, but we lost that in the '00 campaign which Dubyuh barely won despite this obvious pandering to the Senior Citizen vote...that said, we snuck in some structural changes that may help to curb spending on Medicare in the future, if we follow thru and demand said changes (i.e. MSA's) are enforced and expanded upon.

Sure it seems like pennies to dollars to save a little here and a little there, but anything we can do to hold domestic discretionary spending increases to 1% per year for the foreseeable futures is a HUGE WIN fer our side. I feel an obligation to applaud these efforts when undertaken by the Bush Administration or the Conservatives in the House. Heck, a coupla weeks ago, I saw a little-noticed proposal by Dubyuh to end--or significantly reduce funding for--128 Federal PROGRAMS (yes, entire programs). This proposal got little to no airtime, but should be celebrated as a starting point fer getting Federal Expenditures under control!!

We gotta keep the faith and fight the good fight, I doubt President Kerry would give our arguments fer fiscal discipline much credence!!

FReegards...MUD

[Reagan Man]

If PresBush wants to send a message to the GOP establishment about the need for real fiscal responsibility in government, this would be a good time for the Prez to use his veto power and bury this excessive highway bill. If his veto is overidden, he can point a finger at the Congress. This GOP Congress needs a good slap upside the head.