House GOP Leaders Set to Cut Spending (DeLay Mea Culpa)

Washington Post ^ | October 17, 2005 | Jonathan Weisman

[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."

[Txsleuth]

He is on his way, Gipper!

[hsalaw]

Thanks for the ping to the great article. Mike Pence is just the "sharp stick" the House needs to get moving on more budget cuts.

[Txsleuth]

I just have to report that Harry Reid....on the floor of the Senate was just blasting the "ultra-conservative group" in the House....for wanting cuts to finance Katrina..

Good going guys, anyone that gets under Reid's skin, is doing their job!!! Thanks

[DoctorMichael]

".............House GOP lawmakers will take steps to cut as much as $50 billion from the fiscal 2006 budget..........."

A modest start.

[MozarkDawg]

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."

Forgive me, I just can't hold this in ... bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! Who is he kidding with this??

[q_an_a]

it would be nice if a few of the conservatives would start a sunset commission and a TQM program to make goverment cost less. Does anyone KNOW how long it takes on average for FEMA to deliver ice, food, shelter vochers? A Houston story had 3000 people a day getting help - but that was 4 weeks after the storm. Is there no way to make the hotel situation go faster when a __ % of building are gone? If Congres focused as mush time on effectiveness as on spending and trips for their families soemthing would get better. shame on the wasteful in Congress.

[TheLion]

I think you could easily trim 500 billion from this runaway budget....the only problem is to get all the big spenders in congress to go along.

[caver]

Nice article. Pence definitely get them moving. I hope he gets in their face on every issue.

[George W. Bush]

This is actually sad. DeLay actually seemed to believe that we needed Republican liberals.

It seems that he now remembers why we sent conservatives there and what their job is. Hopefully he won't forget again after he destroys Ronnie Earle and comes back to leadership.