Tea Party wins: $100 billion in cuts in House GOP spending bill

The Hill ^ | February 11, 2011 | Erik Wasson

[jazusamo]

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) on Friday evening introduced a revised 2011 government spending bill that the GOP said will cut at least $100 billion in spending this fiscal year, bowing to demands by Tea Party-backed House freshmen.

The continuing resolution funding the government after March 4 cuts deeply across all areas of domestic spending and singles out many programs for complete elimination.

In the CR $81 billion has been cut from non-security programs, and security-related programs have been reduced by $19 billion, compared to Obama’s 2011 budget request.

The legislation will increase funding for the Department of Defense by 2 percent over last year’s level.

“This evening, on behalf of House Republicans, Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers introduced a Continuing Resolution that will reduce spending by at least $100 billion in the next 7 months – a historic effort to get our fiscal house in order and restore certainty to the economy,” Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a statement.

“At a time when unemployment is too high and economic growth is elusive in part because of the uncertainty created by our skyrocketing debt, this legislation will mark the largest spending cut in modern history and will help restore confidence so that people can get back to work. These are not easy cuts, but we are finally doing what every other American has to do in their households and their businesses, and that’s to begin a path of living within our means,” he said.

The CR was immediately rejected by the lead appropriator in the Senate.

“It is clear from this proposal that House Republicans are committed to pursuing an ineffective approach to deficit reduction that attempts to balance the budget on the back of domestic discretionary investments, which constitute only a small percentage of overall federal spending. The priorities identified in this proposal for some of the largest cuts - environmental protection, healthcare, energy, science and law enforcement - are essential to the current and future well-being of our economy and communities across the country," Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) said in a statement.

“I am disturbed that some Republicans have indicated a willingness to allow a government shutdown. No responsible elected official should even consider such an option," he added.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) also dismissed it.

“Although Democrats have repeatedly urged them to join us in responsibly cutting waste and excess, Republicans have taken a meat ax to the initiatives that invest in our economy and create jobs for the sake of appeasing their base," he said.

An earlier and milder leadership-backed version of the bill cut $32 billion from current levels of spending; the new bill was estimated to cut $58 billion.

Measured against the 2011 Obama budget request, which was never enacted, the earlier leadership bill cut $74 billion and the new bill cuts $100 billion.

“Everybody got hit,” Interior and Environment Appropriations subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson said.

“Obviously we don’t want to close the national parks…we tried to be selective,” he said.

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House appropriators on Thursday announced that they were withdrawing their less drastic CR under pressure from freshmen.

It is unclear if the bill will satisfy freshmen and members of the conservative House Republican Study Committee.

RSC budget guru Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) said Friday the RSC was still mulling what amendments to offer when the bill comes out next week.

“I think it is important to keep the word” of the Pledge to America, he said.

Some freshmen and RSC members argue that under the GOP Pledge, a full $100 billion must come from non-security spending. The House Appropriations CR contains $19 billion in cuts from security spending.

The committee had raced to produce the bill Friday in order to leave enough time to hold a vote on the bill next week before the House recesses for a Presidents Day district work period next Friday.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said Friday that there will be three days of debate next week, and an open rule will allow for lots of amendments.

Under a three-day waiting period the GOP instituted in January, the bill debate cannot begin until Tuesday at the earliest.

If the bill is not passed before Presidents Day recess, the House and Senate would have only one week left of work to negotiate out a spending bill before March 4.

If a new CR is not passed by March 4, the government will shut down. Congress can pass short-term extensions of the current CR, however.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Woo-hoo!

Defund 0’s UN.

[EternalVigilance]

They spend our money, and call it “investments.”

Yeah, investments in their future as lobbyists once the voters finally get sick of them.

[remaxagnt]

should be 1 trillion or more cut. same ole bs. time for our own revolution!

[Jim W N]

Two questions:

1) Will it pass the Senate?

2) What will it take to get more tax cuts and more spending cuts?

[luv2ndamend]

I thought they were cutting from the 08 Budget numbers? $100 Billion is peanuts to his last 2 budgets?

[TribalPrincess2U]

January 20, 2011 list

//www.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2011/01/20/house-gop-lists-25-trillion-in-spending-cuts

[TribalPrincess2U]

Sorry try this:

http://www.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2011/01/20/house-gop-lists-25-trillion-in-spending-cuts

[ronnie raygun]

We can only hope the EPA gets it in the can!

[mohresearcher]

Defund NPR, taxpayer funded abortions, foreign aid, reduce congressional pensions, farm subsidies and all special tax loopholes for ethanol, wwindmills, electric cars, etc.

[BenKenobi]

No, they are cutting from the December budget. 100 billion is peanuts.

[jazusamo]

You’re right and the Rats are apoplectic with this, shows just how far from sanity they are.

[GlockThe Vote]

Thank god for the TEA PARTY keeping their feet to the fire.

[goodnesswins]

OH, HOw I wish they would defund the UN and kick it out of the U.S.....if the Congress did that THIS year...they’d be done for now!

[TribalPrincess2U]

and ACORN! ACLU, NAACP, NPR. Whoever’s doling off us.

[jazusamo]

WOW! They fell a tad short, didn’t they.

[bruinbirdman]

"Federal Workforce Reforms: Eliminate automatic pay increases for civilian federal workers for five years. Additionally, cut the civilian workforce by a total of 15 percent through attrition. Allow the hiring of only one new worker for every two workers who leave federal employment until the reduction target has been met. (Savings included in above discretionary savings figure). "

An item right out of Sarkozy's budget. He had problems with his legislature, also. But he won.

yitbos

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Good idea !

[cc2k]

On the one hand, I'm somewhat impressed that the TEA Party wing has won a minor skirmish here.

However, this 112th Congress (and Speaker Boehner and his committee chairs) are wasting time on Fiscal Year 2011. Fiscal Year 2011 was the responsibility of the 111th Congress (and Speaker Pelosi and here committee chairs).

What this Congress should have done first was pass a single page continuing resolution for Marh 2011 through September 2011. That one page Continuing Resolution should have made approprations at 7/12ths (proportional) or 2/3rds (a generous increase) of Fiscal Year 2008 levels. That could have been passed the first day and sent to the Senate.

What the 112th Congress should be concentrating on is Fiscal Year 2012. They must pass all of the required appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2012 in a timely fashion. Have the debate about spending in Fiscal Year 2012 without the pressure of an impending government shutdown (which will be blamed on the house Republicans, and Boehner will cry like a baby when that happens).

Right now, the establishment leaders in the House are playing into the Democrat's plans and traps. The media will blame them for any shutdown or loss of services if things aren't funded after March 4, 2011.

[redlegplanner]

You’re right. this iclassic bait and switch. The original promise from the pledge is below:

“With common-sense exceptions for seniors, veterans, and our troops, we will roll back government spending to
pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, saving us at least $100 billion in the first year alone and putting us on a path to
balance the budget and pay down the debt. We will also establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending
from this point forward. “

$100 million is the minimum, not the goal. We must hold their fight to the fire and ensure that the DoJ, EPE, DoEd, etc etc do not receive one penny more than they did in 2008.

Then, having re-established a baseline for this year, we can get to work on Operation Rollback for FY 2012’s budget.

Paul Ryan better man up on the top line, and would someone please primary Hal Rogers!