Posted on 11/19/2005 7:54:15 AM PST by Gipper08
WASHINGTON – After weeks of prodding by conservatives headed by Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th, the House passed a bill early Friday to cut federal spending by about $50 billion over five years. Food stamps, student loans and Medicaid are among the programs that will be cut or held steady despite inflation.
The 217-215 vote was delayed for weeks as GOP leaders rounded up votes by tweaking the package to ease concerns among moderate Republicans. The leadership felt confident enough about success to call a vote at 1:15 a.m. No Democrats voted for the bill; 14 Republicans also opposed it. All Indiana’s Republicans voted “yes,” including Reps. Mark Souder, R-3rd, Dan Burton, R-5th, and Pence.
"Fiscal discipline and reform have been revived in the Congress of the United States,” Pence said. “After years where budget priorities were buffeted by war, emergency and natural disaster, today the Republican majority in Congress has renewed its commitment to the principles of limited government.”
The legislation was a victory for Pence, who heads a group of about 100 fiscal conservatives who became restive after back-to-back hurricane bail-outs. When House leaders said there wasn’t any fat to cut in the federal budget to offset the emergency spending, Pence’s group produced a 24-page, $500 billion list of suggested cuts or reductions.
Although most of the group’s ideas – cutting or killing the anti-drug campaign, arts programs, public broadcasting, AIDS in Africa, farm subsidies, grants to police and fire departments for homeland security upgrades – did not end up in the legislation, the fact that any bill was passed was a success for the group.
“With an $8 trillion national debt and more hurricane relief around the corner, we must do more but we dare not do less to ensure that a catastrophe of nature does not become a catastrophe of debt,” Pence said.
The Senate’s version is very different, and before anything is sent to President Bush for his signature, the two bills must be reconciled. The Senate bill, for instance, does not include any reductions in direct services to low-income Medicaid recipients; the House bill does. The Senate bill would allow an Alaskan wilderness area to be drilled for oil; the House version does not.
Thank you Congressman Pence for your leadership. You had the guts to start this fight, you certainly deserve the glory now that it has passed.
Pence: Cut another $12 billion from budget
By Maureen Groppe
Gannett News Service
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., the leader of an influential group of House conservatives that pressured the Republican leadership to cut spending, said the budget-cutting bill that narrowly passed the House early Friday is just the first step.
House conservatives largely won the battle against Republican moderates concerned about cuts in student loans, health care for the poor and other programs.
But they face a tough task getting the Senate to go along with the additional $15 billion not in the Senate's version.
Pence said Congress must find an additional $12 billion in cuts to finish paying for emergency hurricane relief.
But while Democrats complain all the budget cuts will be undone by a $56.6 billion package of tax cuts Republicans are eager to pass, Pence said revenue lost by tax cuts shouldn't count against the deficit.
"Tax cuts, when done properly, generate jobs and income," Pence said.
However, House leaders decided not to call up the tax cuts, deciding to wait until after Congress returns from recess.
Democrats are hoping the budget cuts will prove unpopular with the public.
They may have cut spending, BUT raised their own pay $3,100.00 at the same time. Gee I wish I coulde give myself a pay raise when ever I want!
I notice that the MSM juggernaut continues to editorialize. They just can't help it.
And they continue wondering why they are marginalized and laughed at.
In case you're wondering what the problem is, morons, the above sentence, as news, must have stopped right after "... or held steady."
I will hold my breath until I see for myself out of how many "programs" there were actual cuts. If only one out of thousands was cut, the doofus' statement would still be technically correct.
I suspect most simply are not getting an automatic yearly increase...
Let's keep their feet to the fire. There is lots more that they should do.
These "cuts" are just reductions in the rate of growth. There is no such thing as actually spending less next year than they spent this year.
Notice the EneMedia continues to do their part to split the party. Does this mean we now have 3 parties ... Conservatives, RepublicRats and DemonRats?
House "conservatives" that pressured the "Republican" leadership and "House conservatives" largely won the battle against "Republican moderates"
From their website:
Republican Main Street Partnership Members Win Important Victories In House and Senate
As the House and Senate debate important tax and spending legislation, Republican Main Street Members of Congress have played important roles in helping produce a plan that is more balanced. Main Street Members have pressed the leadership in the House to reduce some of the entitlement cuts that would fall disproportionately on lower-income households. In the Senate, Senator Olympia Snowe opposed a proposal to extend the capital gains tax cut, which does not expire until 2008, saying that at a time of growing deficits it was unwise to pass this tax cut now.
We can't let the left get away with this garbage.
If the Left didn't "get away with garbage", they wouldn't have anything since they actually produce nothing of value. That is why they see the tax/spending issue as a never increasing pie. Soros and Buffet COULD NOT EXIST without the capitalist system, yet they and their minions fight it at every turn.
They care only about themselves and nothing for America or real Americans.
Snowe needs to be fired. Anyone this economically stupid after the Kennedy, Reagan and Bush tax cut lead economic boom is too stupid to be in Congress.
Yeah and worse most of the programs are getting the increase, just not as much of one as they want. We really need to destroy the Dinosaur Media. They have become grossly incompetent in their duty to REPORT the facts.
We need to remember that in Congressional accounting, a "budget cut" occurs when an amount lower than what was in the bill is passed - typically, the original amount was higher than the existing spending level and the lower amount passed by the Congress is equated to a "budget cut" - we don't really know if they approved spending LESS money overall, or just not as much as was in the original proposal.
Unfortunately, "base-line budgeting" allows BOTH parties to talk out both side of their mouths. The Republicans can claim "cuts" for their conservative constituencies and say, "but spending this year is more than last year" to the liberal newspapers.
With the scumbag Democrats, it's the same game only vice-versa.
Still, it's progress I suppose. Or at least we're not running toward the cliff, but walking.
I couldn't agree with you more. Do you want to move to Maine? There is still time before the '06 race gets hot. I volunteer to be your campaign gopher. ;*)
I know the Radio Ranters like to use these sort of sophomoric lines to get the masses all riled up. I would expect Freepers to be smarter. Nothing in life is done to fit your emotional whimsy 100%. "Conservatives" need to learn whining all the time does NOT make them look smart, quite the opposed in fact.
I look forward to more of your reasoned enlightenment about how good it is to be a moderate.
You're obviously a lot smarter than me.
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