Posted on 02/25/2009 4:24:00 AM PST by cc2k
Washington, Feb 24 - President Obama travels to Capitol Hill tonight, on the eve of a House vote on a half-trillion dollar spending bill. Ironically, the vote on the massive spending bill comes during a week when the President is attempting to shift the focus in Washington away from reckless spending and toward “fiscal responsibility.” The White House held a “fiscal responsibility” summit yesterday, and tonight the President delivers an address to a joint session of Congress, in which budget restraint is expected to be a major theme. However, with Congress passing a trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill less than two weeks ago and congressional Democrats coming back for another half-trillion in tomorrow’s vote, struggling families and small businesses across the country are wondering, “Is this all talk and no action?” McClatchy News says it is:
“Despite all the White House hoopla Monday about ‘fiscal responsibility,’ Washington is showing little inclination to practice what it’s preaching.”
“The $787 billion stimulus package that President Barack Obama signed Feb. 17 adds an estimated $185 billion to the already-record federal deficit for fiscal 2009, pushing it up to about $1.4 trillion. That’s a whopping 10 percent of the gross domestic product, the highest level since the end of World War II.”
“The measure’s full of projects that Democrats, who are in charge of the legislative and executive branches for the first time since 1994, have sought for years, and it’s questionable whether many of those provide the economy much of a short-term boost.”
“Even more such projects are included in the next round of legislation, a $410 billion spending plan for the rest of fiscal 2009 that the House of Representatives is to consider Wednesday.”
The bill slated for a House vote tomorrow represents the largest discretionary spending increase, aside from legislation after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, since the Carter Administration. With a deficit that is approaching $3 trillion, House Republicans yesterday sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) calling for a spending freeze. In a radio interview this morning on Cincinnati’s WKRC AM 550, Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) explained the House GOP’s decision to call for it:
“These are the nine appropriations bills that didn’t get finished last fall that fund our government through September 30 this year. And it’s $30 billion over budget. It does have 9,000 earmarks in it. And just another example of how Washington is really good at wasting people’s money.” (AUDIO)
Families and small businesses across America are being forced to spend less as a result of the recession. Shouldn’t Congress have to make the tough spending decisions as well?
As President Obama prepares for his address to Congress this evening, will his calls for “fiscal responsibility” be backed up with real spending restraint from his fellow Democrats in charge of Congress? Will they agree to a spending freeze, just as families and small businesses across the country have had to adjust their spending habits? Or will they ignore his calls for spending restraint and press forward with tomorrow’s vote on a half-trillion dollar bill, on top of the trillion-dollar “stimulus” legislation they just passed two weeks ago?
Still, it's nice to see them get back to their core principles.
Call, Fax, Write your Congress critters and Senators. Tell them to vote for a continuation (freeze) of spending at Fiscal Year 2008 levels, not this pork laden 16% increase (8% for the year spread over just 6 remaining months).
And really, instead of whining since February 5 about not seeing this bill, Boehner & Co should have:
They still need to submit an alternative bill to freeze spending, though.
Fiscal responsibility as a concept will be changed to mean something totally different. Rather than meaning “cut expenditures” it will be turned to mean “raise revenue through taxing the wealthy”.
For Democrats it is “Party uber alles”...words are meaningless.
The purpose of the entire speech was to deflect attention from the single greatest act of fiscal irresponsibility the country has ever seen...the recent “stimulus” package, which was nothing more than a massive giveaway to his supporters.
When You’re in a Hole, Quit Digging!
The economy will Not be repaired by stealing money from the very people who create the jobs.
Government efforts to “create jobs”, only results in enlarging the dependent class, while destroying industry and creativity, which are the very engines of a healthy, growing economy.
When the Congress blackmails the banks into making bad loans in the name of “affordable housing”, Congress is the problem, Not the banks!
Giving everybody an insurance card, is NOT providing healthcare! Instead, it drives price controls which guarantee a shortage of Doctors and “productive” research.
Guaranteeing slave wages for illegal immigrants, rather that providing the means to assimilate into American society is far more racist than pretending to “respect their culture”.
The energy needs of America will NOT be provided by ignoring Nuclear Power and telling fairy tales about the potential of wind and solar power.
The nations security is NOT guaranteed by emasculating our Armed Forces and promoting a policy of appeasement.
Disarming American citizens only emboldens violent criminals and makes NOBODY safer.
A culture that devalues life through abortion, euthanasia, and the restricted availability of real healthcare, will never be a culture that retains the moral authority to sustain a free democracy.
Erasing the First Amendment to the Constitution and denying free speech and oppressing religious freedom means America is lost.
In short Mr. President, there are no elements of your speech which can be implemented as advertised and achieve the promised results. Because you are well aware of these facts, the entire speech was a lie!
A Simple, "No F-ing Way!" response would suffice, seeing as how much bipartisanship the Democrats demonstrated on Porkulus.
Laugh of the day.
I am a little confused. Why all this talk about fiscal responsibility? I thought that government spending stimulated economic growth. So which is it? Government spending is good for the economy or fiscal restraint is needed. It’s either or. You can’t choose both.
Ghost of Philip Marlowe wrote:You do realize that this thread isn't about the last spending bill (the "stimulus" package).
The purpose of the entire speech was to deflect attention from the single greatest act of fiscal irresponsibility the country has ever seen...the recent “stimulus” package, which was nothing more than a massive giveaway to his supporters.
Now we're talking about another half trillion dollars in the next spending bill. This is the "Omnibus" bill that must pass by March 6 to keep the government running. It is coming up now because the Dems couldn't pass any appropriations bills last year. They didn't want Bush to veto them, so they only did a "continuing resolution" to fund the government until March 6, 2009. Now, with Obama in the white house, they are proposing this one massive bill to fund the government this year.
It's over 1,100 pages, and it contains over 9,000 earmarks. And they kept it hidden until yesterday.
Somewhat ironic that they put this out the day after the "Fiscal Responsibility Summit" at the White House.
And all of this is before we even get to Obama's Budget for Fiscal Year 2010, which he says he'll release Thursday.
Didn’t you mean “Fecal” Responsibility?
Pretty good summary.
My point was to make clear the hypocrisy, the LIE, that Obammie the Commie cares anything about fiscal responsibility. His actions (actively PUSHING the “stimulus” bill) is the greatest fiscal IRresponsibility the country has (yet) seen.
In a word: NO. Or expanded words: As long as there’s Pork to be had . . . No. The Democrats are full of Crap. The Usurper just says what “share the wealthers” want to hear.
I am a little confused. Why all this talk about fiscal responsibility? I thought that government spending stimulated economic growth. So which is it? Government spending is good for the economy or fiscal restraint is needed. It’s either or. You can’t choose both.It seems like were on an even/odd system now.
On spending, on even days, spending is good and stimulates the economy. On odd days, deficits are bad and we must have "fiscal responsibility." Of course, "fiscal responsibility" means higher taxes for "the richest Americans." I'm not sure what his plan is when everyone decides to quit earning at $249,000 per year.
On debt, on even days, debts should be forgiven. "Lenders will need to lower interest rates and share in the costs of reducing monthly payments in order to prevent another wave of foreclosures." And on odd days, we have to own up to our debts. "But I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay -- and that means taking responsibility right now, in this administration, for getting our spending under control."
If the Party Propaganda Ministry (formerly "the media") cared about honesty, they would point out the hypocrisy of this guy's statements. His message changes daily.
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