Posted on 02/09/2013 7:04:53 AM PST by Libloather
President Obama warned in his weekly address that the sequester would deal a "huge blow to middle-class families and our economy as a whole" and urged Congress to strike a compromise deal to avert the $85 billion in automatic cuts.
"There’s certainly no reason that middle-class families and small businesses should suffer just because Washington couldn’t come together and eliminate a few special-interest tax loopholes, or government programs that just don’t work," Obama said. "At a time when economists and business leaders from across the spectrum have said that our economy is poised for progress, we shouldn’t allow self-inflicted wounds to put that progress in jeopardy."
The president devoted a significant amount of his address to outlining the real-world consequences that would result if the sequester was implemented. On Friday, top administrative aides warned the cuts would hamper law enforcement, hurt federal education programs, withhold mental health services and furlough thousands of workers.
"If the sequester is allowed to go forward, thousands of Americans who work in fields like national security, education or clean energy are likely to be laid off," Obama said. "Firefighters and food inspectors could also find themselves out of work – leaving our communities vulnerable. Programs like Head Start would be cut, and lifesaving research into diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s could be scaled back."
Obama also warns that the cuts could impact the nation's military readiness.
"As our military leaders have made clear, changes like this affect our ability to respond to threats in an unstable part of the world," the president said.
In a statement Friday, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard McKeon (R-Calif.) blasted Obama after a fact sheet released by the White House on the impact of the sequester did not include information about potential defense cuts.
"Today the White House finally broke their silence on the consequences President Obama's sequester would have on domestic spending. I wouldn't downplay those important impacts, but I was stunned at the President's silence on national security risks and I am frustrated that he continues to look to our men and women in uniform to pay the cost of America's debt crisis," McKeon said in a statement. "After all, it is their lives that are at greater risks today, because of the cuts already imposed."
Although Obama warns of the dire impact of the proposed cuts, neither he nor congressional Republicans seems particularly willing to give ground in the fight over the sequester. The White House has proposed replacing the automatic reductions with a mixture of spending cuts and the elimination of certain tax loopholes and deductions. But House Republicans have said that they already conceded to tax increases during the "fiscal cliff" negotiations, and prefer a package that only includes spending cuts.
In his address Saturday, Obama again stressed his desire for a "balanced" plan.
"The current Republican plan puts the burden of avoiding those cuts mainly on seniors and middle-class families," Obama said. "They would rather ask more from the vast majority of Americans and put our recovery at risk than close even a single tax loophole that benefits the wealthy."
On Friday, congressional Republicans said the onus to face tough spending cuts and entitlement reforms.
“We know the President’s sequester will have consequences," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a statement. "What we don’t know is when the President will propose a plan to replace the sequester with smarter spending cuts and reforms.”
I hear there's huge profit selling weapons to the Muslim Brothahood.
Look in the mirror, Zero, to see what’s devastated the middle class. This guy is a loathsome commie toad.
Obama again stressed his desire for a “balanced” plan.
Tax the rich and the middle class (what’s left of it).
Obama needs to recall the comic strip opossum named Pogo when Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and they are us.”
Mr. President it is high time that you manned up and made some executive decisions about which useless federal programs that you are willing to cut. If I were you, I would begin with the Departments of Education, Energy and Health and Human Services. They are rife with waste. In regard to the HHS, I would eliminate all Head Start programs because a study performed by HHS and made public on Dec. 23 proved that Head Start serves no useful purpose but to spend money and pad liberal pockets.
There are literally thousands of such programs. Do your job, Mr. President. There doesn’t need to be a sequester—just plain and simple logical business decisions.
The Republicans caved on the Debt Ceiling, with an Agreement that Cuts would be all in the future and that's why they "agreed".
Now, with the insignificant impact of the few Billion dollars on the whole over-spending mess created by Obamacare, Handouts to everyone, bailouts to bank donors and Unions, we have to, again, RAISE TAXES (codeword="more revenue"), so we don't adversely impact Holder's People, Unions, or Banks....
Bend over, productive Amerikans, here it comes again!
What a guy. He screws things up and then says, “You have to help me stop this guy who is screwing things up!”
He ran against Bush in 2008. He ran against monsters hiding in the closet in 2012. Now, he’s running against himself.
what a hypocrite! This is the same guy who threatened to veto any legislation that altered the composition of the sequestration last fall.
OK, Mr. President, it's time for you to put up, or shut up. Since the sequester was your idea, let's see your bill. It's your time to lay a bill on the table to vote on.
Flashback: “Obama pledges to veto effort to undo automatic spending cuts”
“Already some in Congress are trying to undo these automatic spending cuts. My message to them is simple: No,” Mr. Obama said from the White House briefing room Monday evening. “I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts to domestic and defense spending.” November 21, 2011
“The President will urge Congress to come together and act to ensure these devastating cuts to defense and job-creating programs don’t take effect.” - White House statement, February 5, 2013
The mere existence of this subhuman degenerate is a huge blow to every class.
actually, the sequester will create a lot more middle class families - from the wannabe upper middle and upper class
trickle up poverty, just another form of redistribution
The House has already passed a bill to stop Obama’s sequester but the Democrat controlled Senate refuses to act.
“Look in the mirror, Zero, to see what’s devastated the middle class. This guy is a loathsome commie toad.”
His utopia involves every single American working as an overpaid, underworked public school teacher. As their slave, he has to push their agenda (especially hiring more) every time he speaks. Here in NJ our property taxes (75% of which go to schools) have driven many homeowners to ruin. Their inflexibility on concessions has caused thousands of recently-hired teachers, cops, and firemen to lose their jobs; good riddance to all of them.
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