Posted on 03/07/2006 8:58:14 AM PST by Gipper08
Tomorrow, conservatives in the House of Representatives, led by Mike Pence and Jeb Hensarling, will introduce a bold budget that is modeled after the fabled mid-90's Contract with America. The conservative alternative will be a challenge to Congressional leadership in that it goes well above and beyong savings sought by the President's budget.
The budget will move beyond the current $75 billion in savings to nearly $700 billion. It significantly reduces the size and scope of three federal agencies: Departments of Education, Energy and Commerce.
The NY Times reports:
The authors of the proposal describe it as a sequel to the Contract With America, which helped catapult Republicans to power in 1994. An outline of the plan says the proposals require "tough choices, but members have expressed a serious desire to do the hard things to save America."
Mr. Bush's push for the line-item veto could benefit from the current scrutiny over the growing practice by lawmakers of inserting spending for pet projects into legislation — a practice that has figured into continuing corruption scandals.
House conservatives are smart to bill this as The Contract II. Many of the votes that were there for the first Contract should still be there for the second. This billing also gives disallusioned fiscal conservatives a rallying flag. Like with Operation Offset, look for grassroots support for fiscal posterity to explode.
Republican Leadership would be wise to learn from Operation Offset. The initial indifference leadership should to that effort was overcome by vigorous grassroots support. Then Majority Leader Tom DeLay said there was no fat left to cut in the federal budget. He very soon after found out that he was wrong when many of the RSC proposals were passed into law with the help of House Speaker Dennis Hastert who saw the writing on the wall. Leadership would do well to embrace this new effort from the get-go.
Certainly, it is a tough budget. Certainly Democrats will demagogue it - they always do. Certainly, moderates' knees will tremble in fear at the thought of making hard decisions. But this needs to be done.
Given the future this country faces with exploding entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, budgets like this must become the norm. No politician likes making cuts, but if they are serious about relieving the mountains of debt we are currently piling on future generations, they must embrace a budget that calls for tough choices.
Americans will respect Congressmen who make tough choices for sake of the country's future. You just have to explain yourself and stop being ashamed.
Nice list. As someone pointed out, securing our borders needs to be included, even though the House did pass a bill already.
Keep it there until we get it done.
Also, sadly missing is fundamental tax reform.
You're just not going to energize a broad spectrum of the electorate without the promise of the elimination of the IRS and the income tax.
People are sick of rearranging the deck chairs of the Titantic.
ha ha ha ha ha ha You have to be kidding. I'll settle for them just slowing down the battleship. Even rearrangement of the deck chairs would be an improvement at this stage.
It's all about pandering, pork and collecting the Commission campaign donation. The hell with the country and the American people. They have their reelection and retirement to worry about.
No it doesn't.. Americans are basically socialists and are getting more socialist.. Pence is urinating up a rope.. Heroic effort to be sure.. The weight of the academic socialist brain wash (of the prospective leaders) in the countrys colleges ensures a socialist outcome.. Socialism is being capitalized through democracy.. The massive Mexican insurgency encouraged by both MOST republicans and ALL democrats ensures more socialism..
Republican leaders could care less about democrat voter fraud -OR- massive Mexican(and other nationality) insurgencys.. In Washingtom D.C. there is a CONTRACT AGAINST AMERICA by BOTH parties..
How about the Dept of the Interior ? Why is the federal government still running the Indians' affairs ?
Agreed! Needs its own thread.
This is music to my ears. Praise the Lord and may they be successful!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1591668/posts?page=8#8
No mention of illegal immigration though.
And you know my response to that.
Have you lost your mind??? the balance budget amendment is bad for several reasons:
1)Makes constitution a programatic document, which it is not.(except for 18th amandment repealed by 21st)
2)make raising taxes a constitutinal issue.
Yes, and it requires politicians to make tough decisions.
Well we can be certain that Dubya is freaking out... he may actually have to use his veto!!!
Hmmmmmm.... this oughta be called "Contract with America LITE"
Where's the tort reform and term limits???
"Contract with America LITE"
Yes but unlike Newt,these conservatives actually mean what they say.
Prayers!!!!!
Kudos to Pence and his leadership! We need more conservatives like him! He's the next Ronald Reagan!
www.pence08.com
Nice thread.
Glad there's a good man like Pence that hasn't been run-off yet.
We need more men and women like them.
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