Posted on 07/14/2011 4:05:11 PM PDT by thouworm
Even as we approach the debt ceiling, they cant stop themselves.
Its no secret that Democrats love to spend money, but given their recent behavior in the debt negotiations, perhaps its time for A&E producers to feature them in the next installment of their hit series Intervention, in which friends and family members try to convince loved ones to give up their crippling addictions.
In an interview with National Review Online, Senate minority whip Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) explains that even at the height of national concern over the countrys debt and deficit problem, Democratic negotiators are insisting that additional spending measures be included in a deal to increase the debt limit.
In discussions this week, Kyl says, Democrats proposed extending unemployment insurance for another 99 weeks at a cost of $43 billion. In addition, they requested another $10 billion to spend on research projects overseen by the National Institutes of Health. Democrats have not, Kyl says, offered to offset the new spending with additional cuts.
These measures come on top of the increased spending Democrats proposed in negotiations led by Vice President Joe Biden, which included a $33 billion increase in Pell Grant funding and $27 billion a number Kyl says was never explained and is much higher than Republican estimations for the so-called doc fix to restore Medicare payments to physicians.
Another point of contention in the talks, Kyl explains, is that roughly 75 percent of the savings proposed in non-health-care mandatory spending are achieved through revenue mechanisms such as fee increases, which technically arent classified as tax hikes, but certainly highlight the Democrats fundamental unwillingness to reduce spending. Kyl says at this point he can identify only about $55 billion in actual reductions to federal spending.
When it comes to health care, Kyl says that even the modest savings introduced in the Biden talks, primarily of the waste, fraud, and abuse variety all of it outlined by President Obama in his budget framework speech have since been taken off the table. Republicans can buy them back, Kyl explains, if they agree to match them dollar-for-dollar with tax increases. But were just not going to do that, he says. This is why the top-line figure agreed to in the Biden talks about $2 trillion has since shrunk to less than $1.4 trillion. Kyl predicts that as the deal stands, the Congressional Budget Office would score only about $1 trillion of actual savings.
Negotiators are meeting today at the White House. Kyl says he expects the White House will continue to press Republicans to buy back health-care savings with tax increases (which isnt going to happen) and agree to a global deficit trigger that would impose automatic spending and tax increases if Congress fails to meet certain targets. This too, Kyl says, is a non-starter with the GOP. He holds out hope that some agreement can be reached on a number for an overall ten-year deficit target and an appropriate enforcement mechanism that does not include tax increases, which continue to be a stumbling block at every turn.
Andrew Stiles is a 2011 Franklin fellow.
Mark Levin just went through the roof on this news.
What did he say? I am out of the loop.
No wonder did you see the Section 8 Riot in Dallas on an earlier thread. Whew. They want their free house.
Said they have no intention to cut spending. Said Obama is as close to being a dictator without actually being a dictator. Lies, lies, lies. Can’t do his rant justice.
This debt deal has been his major topic all week. Download program later tonight for the first 1/2 hr. Someone may also post his rant. If I see it, I’ll ping you.
Poor Mark. This is probably raising his Blood Pressure. Guess we still have a lot of work to do. But it may be cleaning up and re-building after the Hurricane. With the RINOS and RATS it is just amateur of how long the Ponzi can hold up now. This may be the point of no return. McConnell handed us up on a Silver Platter.
Might not. I sense a RINO/RAT coalition.
The Free Sh!t Army is on the march, baby!!!
I am thinking of building a raft and checking the current between Key West and Havana.
doesn’t this mean they need higher taxes for Obamacare? That without more taxation, Obamacare is not funded? Or what?
and thank you for the ping:)
I tend to agree
Republican 2012 strategy: Surrender unconditionally, then get all the usual gang of “conservative” commentators to claim a giant Republican victory. This is just about the time when voters like me decide the bug out and leave the worthless GOP to rot.
There are a zillion “taxes” already built into Obamacare. Obamacare will be funded (by hook or by crook); the Marxist will never let that fall. It is essential for his self-glory.
Now this:
New backup plan would let Obama raise debt ceiling without congressional OK
Chicago Tribune ^ | 07/14/2011 | Lisa Mascaro
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2748786/posts
Getting that sinking feeling...
we must attack mcconnel now.
yup...worse
confirmation?
It Is As I Feared (McConnell rounding up Dem support to cede congressional authority to Obama)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2748806/posts
yup2394871293: Meant to ping you to post 16 also.
ping to article & post #18
Its Tea Party now. And Sarah Palin will declare her candidacy.
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