Cut the Dept. of Education from the budget. That will take care of it.
Cutting whole departments is the correct approach in a second phase led by a conservative prez who can sell it against the onslaught of the media and liberal interest groups. But to ask a speaker to do something like this will be perceived by moderates as crazy. Trust me, I hear it from them all the time. They have not a clue that cuts to dep of education will improve education. And they will mainly hear the shrill and steady drumbeat from a prez and compliant press if the pubs try to do something like that. It has to be simple - which is what you are going for in cutting whole depts - but it has to be simple to sell. That is why I think the correct first step approach is not line item specific, but one of simple percentages. Say, we are leaving our priorities exactly where they are now, but we are reducing the size of the whole thing. That is sellable and simple and a first step. Then explain the second step is to then have a commission go through with a fine tooth comb and do give and take on certain line items in order to award programs that are worthy and perhaps sunset those that are not. Believe me there will be plenty of give and take in earnest at that point because then on both sides they will be forced to make relative decisions on importance. Right now, there is no agreement on exactly where the boundaries really are because the size of our budget has only been limited by the audacity of what a prez and congress has proposed. Every fight on every program is viewed as existential. Plus, they would do well to go back to the departments and sub departments and say, hey, you need to assume you will have 10% less next year, tell us what is important to preserve and what might be better to either postpone or pursue more slowly.