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.
Most excellent, thanks for the ping!!!
Remind me again, which is which? :)
Good luck with that. Wonder if Bush will veto this or not. The very fact I have to ask this question is sad.
Whoooohooooo Go Mike Pence!
Pence in '08
"Many of the votes that were there for the first Contract should still be there for the second."
BWAHAHAHAHAHAA! Yeah, and I bet they'll vote to impeach Clinton, too!
This is exactly what the Republican Congress should be doing. ..five years ago.
To fix the public perception mess they're in, they need to start passing some constitutional amendments, not budgets. Still, this is better than nothing.
"Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), chairman of the House Republican Study Committee (RSC), and Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), chairman of the RSC’s Budget and Spending Taskforce, together with other RSC members will introduce a balanced budget based on the 1995 “Contract With America” budget tomorrow."
Mike Pence rocks...I think he'd work well as George Allen's Veep in '08.
Not necessarily, imho...you know what would shock the political world? What if the GOP proposed to spend less money next year than they are spending this year. No inflation adjustments, no baseline budgeting...we're just gonna spend less in '07 than we're slated to spend in 2006.
It's just crazy enough to work...lol!
How 'bout Pence/Condi, Condi/Pence, Allen/Condi or Condi/Allen?
Yes,yes,yes
"you know what would shock the political world? What if the GOP proposed to spend less money next year than they are spending this year. No inflation adjustments, no baseline budgeting...we're just gonna spend less in '07 than we're slated to spend in 2006. It's just crazy enough to work...lol!"
And SO crazy it'll never happen without a judge forcing it to.
What Congresscritters have shown the cojones to do this? Only a few--think 'voted against bridge to nowhere,' and there are a few RINOs looking for cover in that pack, btw.
bump
"Mike Pence rocks...I think he'd work well as George Allen's Veep in '08."
While I'd rather see the ticket the other way around, George Allen has more name recognition, so Allen/Pence might be a winning ticket, and Pence could run for president next time around.
It's still early, though, and Pence still has plenty of time for name recognition.
"Tomorrow will be the opening battle for the budget.This v battle could well determine the future of conservatism and the majority or minority party status of the GOP."
WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN/WOMAN TO SHOW SUPPORT.
I just did.
If SS/Medicare/Medicaid aren't addressed, then any reform bill that "cuts" gov't spending is dead in the water.
Not true, if we let SS medicare run wild til its impossible to pay for its a good excuse to cut the programs.
The sensible compromise would be for the federal government to take over Medicaid, and let the states pay for housing/education/highway funding/the arts/etc.
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