Posted on 04/29/2017 11:55:30 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The federal government once again hit the debt ceiling. The ceiling limits the amount of money the federal government can borrow a number that was set at $20.1 trillion.
Although the issue should have been dealt with in 2015, then-Speaker John Boehner capitulated to President Obama and postponed the debt limit until March 16, 2017. Since then, the federal debt has grown by $1,414,397,000,000 more than one trillion in less than two years.
President Trump promised during his campaign to bring back American prosperity and make Washington work for everyone not just for the small group of Washington elite inside the Beltway.
His recently released budget decisively delivers on these promises and deserves its title: "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again." It recognizes that federal spending is out of control and represents the first serious attempt to tame it in decades.
Although the budget does grant significant increases to Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, it is more remarkable for the significant cuts that it makes. The EPA received a 31% cut. It cuts the Agriculture budget by 21% and the State Department budget by 28%.
The plan also cuts funding entirely to several smaller federal programs, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Between these cuts, the freeze on federal hiring and President Trump's executive orders on regulation, government and its stranglehold on American industry will loosen.
Judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination also helps in this respect: He is an avowed opponent of Chevron deference, the court ruling that allows agencies to irresponsibly interpret laws as they please if there is no clear mandate from Congress.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
I don’t like these articles that start out with titles that make it sound like the administration still doesn’t get it, and then you read down into the article and it’s quite clear it most certainly does.
Trump has cut funding for some entities. He has also significantly reduced the budget for some departments.
As for this, “If Congress and President Trump want to effect serious change and push for a balanced budget, they need to be willing to make serious cuts to entitlement programs. Reforming floundering programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security is the only real way to make a lasting impact on our federal debt.”, the increase in revenue from the cut in taxes, will make S.S. and Medicare more healthy in the short term.
As for the long term, we need to get on with privatizing them.
Eliminating unfunded mandates is job one, and Trump is the kind of guy that will tackle it.
The whole, "but I paid into it", argument shot to hell. Good analysis, I am 64 and have not signed up yet. You have added another reason to postpone or waive my "safety net".
They did the worst a government can do short of shooting citizens, they spent our retirement money!!
That’s why the article mentioned a need to reform such things to be sustainable.
(I would be perfectly happy to eliminate them, but the scream, even from this board, would be heard from Ogunquit to Honolulu.)
Agreed. Those programs combined have at least a hundred trillion in unfunded liabilities.
Agreed. If I had my way with the federal budget, I would probably lose my own job as a government contractor. I don't really care. Either the reckoning comes now, in a controlled fashion, or it will come later on (collapse, SHTF, etc.).
GOOD LORD!!!!!
Now we’re talking 1/10 of a Quadrillion dollars! It’s madness!!
I’m not planning to collect until I’m 70, so I can get the maximum benefit. However, if they raise that age to say, 75, I’ll try and put off retirement until I’m 75. I’ll make it work somehow.
No chance.
Look, even on FR, most people are all for cuts until it is their turn.
I don’t comment on SS threads any more, because everyone wants to keep their SS, but cut everyone elses.
“Have you ever wondered why approx. 500 of the advertised best and brightest Cant scrape up enough intelligence to balance a budget?”
Because they are elected largely by voters who don’t understand that there ain’t no big rock candy mountain so they vote for those who promise a big rock candy mountain?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khGmp7MJ2MI
Yeah I think because the Trillions that are stolen and abused throughout the decades people figure “let me at least get mine”.
Maybe if Trump cleans up government people will be more willing to sacrifice.
I still remember the S&L. Some are still senators. Clinton’s state dept “misplaced” billions.
Pentagon can’t account for several trillion during the war.
Makes you not want to give up your 1500 monthly SS check :)
Sadly, I don’t think anyone is serious.
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