Just back up for one second and look at the forest and not just one tree.
You're right we need to cut everything we can, but about 60% is entitlements, 19% is defense and 9% is interest on the debt. Out of the remaining 14% how do you balance the budget?
Here’s a plan Rand Paul came up with that cuts 500B next year without touching entitlements. It includes close to 50B in defense cuts. That’s 500,000,000,000 next year alone.
I’m as hawkish as they come but I’d be ok with certain defense cuts depending on what they are. I don’t think anyone would say we’ve been very effecient at the Pentagon in recent years. I’m sure we could find plenty of savings there without downgrading our capabilities.
Now, I don’t know if I agree with all of it. But surely based on this plan the Boehner could come up with something that’s much more than the 5B cuts in discretionary spending he laid out today.
Even if you use Paul’s 500B as a start and then end up with say 150B in cuts next year that would be a huge improvement.
I think the GOP should use this as their guide and try to come up with at least 100B in cuts next year to start with.