Posted on 10/16/2005 10:08:15 PM PDT by RWR8189
House Republican leaders have moved from balking at big cuts in Medicaid and other programs to embracing them, driven by pent-up anger from fiscal conservatives concerned about runaway spending and the leadership's own weakening hold on power.
Beginning this week, the House GOP lawmakers will take steps to cut as much as $50 billion from the fiscal 2006 budget for health care for the poor, food stamps and farm supports, as well as considering across-the-board cuts in other programs. Only last month, then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and other GOP leaders quashed demands within their party for budget cuts to pay for the soaring cost of hurricane relief.
DeLay told a packed room of reporters on Sept. 13 that 11 years of Republican rule had already pared down the federal budget "pretty good." If lawmakers had suggestions for cuts, DeLay said he would listen, but he was not offering anything up.
But faced with a revolt among many conservatives sharply critical of him for resisting spending cuts, DeLay three weeks later told a closed meeting of the House Republican Conference, "I failed you," according to a number of House members and GOP aides. Then, in a nod to the most hard-core conservatives, DeLay volunteered, "You guys filled a void in the leadership."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
ping
I guess the leadership missed Dick Armey.
Purely in economic terms -- in terms of money saved -- it might be better to start by reexamining some of the no-bid contracts awarded for Iraq and the Hurricane Katrina cleanup, and then pork barrel projects (you know who you are Mr. Stevens), before we start going for the chump change (in relative terms) that is Medicaid and food stamps. Again, this is just purely in economic terms -- we'd get more bang for the buck by starting with the really big ticket items first.
"I guess the leadership missed Dick Armey."
I know I don't!
"You guys filled a void in the leadership."
---
FR will do it. :)
Keep their feet to the fire. We don't just want 'cuts' we want to slash and burn!
I guess increasing cuts from 35 to 50 billion isnt a bad start although a 15 billion dollar increase is measly compared to the actual budget 15/2300 is barely over half a percent cut. Better than nothing i suppose, although i would imagine we'd get rid of this deficit if we just rolled back the medicare entitlement.
These turds in D.C. need to quit spending my money.
Hell what's the difference at this point between dems and repubs?
They both spend my money like it was theirs.
Amen.
Killing the new Bush entitlements would be a good start.
Can you believe a GOP President and Congress enacted a *new* entitlement???
I've been saying for awhile that Senators and Congressmen should be paid bonuses. They should personally get $1,000,000.00 bonuses for each 2.5% federal budget they are able to reduce.
lol, thats the best idea I've heard in a long time.
"But faced with a revolt among many conservatives sharply critical of him for resisting spending cuts, DeLay three weeks later told a closed meeting of the House Republican Conference, "I failed you," according to a number of House members and GOP aides. Then, in a nod to the most hard-core conservatives, DeLay volunteered, "You guys filled a void in the leadership.""
"No one wants to have an argument with friends, but that argument facilitated the debate that led to the package [of cuts] that [House Speaker J. Dennis] Hastert has now put out there," said Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), chairman of the RSC and leading proponent of cuts to offset new government spending.
I bet we'd see a balanced budget PDQ.
OMG!! Heck, make it $250K and they'd do it. Right now the lobbyists have the power, not the people.
I suggest you use that napkin. As far as I am concerned, you have egg all over your face.
Ping for Mike Pence!
Ping for the RSC!
Thanks for the ping...RWR, this is a great article.
I noticed when the Dems were mad about that first bill, because there were no amendments allowed...but, I didn't know that Pence and gang were equally as incensed. Good!
I have to say, that I liked that DeLay stood up and said that he screwed up. I know a lot of people will say that he kind of had to...because he has lost so much of his stature and "power"....but, the fact that he acknowledged that he let them down, is good.
Also, I would still want Delay on my side if I were Pence and gang...he will be a much better ally, than foe, IMHO.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.