Posted on 04/05/2018 1:33:21 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
Plenty of Republicans remain bitter that their party passed that bloated $1.3 trillion omnibus—almost as bitter as President Trump, who felt pressured to sign it. But this fight doesn’t have to be over.
Across Washington, principled conservatives are noodling with an idea that—if done right—could be a political winner. It’s a chance for Republicans to honor their promises of spending restraint and redeem themselves with a base turned off by the omnibus blowout. It’s an opening for the GOP to highlight the degree to which Democrats used the bill to hold the military hostage to their own domestic boondoggles. And it’s a chance for Mr. Trump to present himself again as an outsider, willing to use unconventional means to change Washington’s spending culture.
It’s called the 1974 Impoundment Act, which allows the president to order the rescission of specific funds, so long as Congress approves those cuts within 45 days. The act hasn’t seen a lot of use in recent decades. Barack Obama never saw a spending bill he didn’t like, and George W. Bush never sent any formal rescission proposals to Congress—likely because he took the position that presidents ought to have a fuller line-item veto power. Many conservatives agree, though Ronald Reagan used rescission where he could and holds the title for most proposals. Even so, the total amount all presidents since 1974 have put forward for rescission ($76 billion) and the amount Congress ultimately approved ($25 billion) remains pathetic.
Republicans could change that. Their control of the White House and both chambers gives them an unusual opportunity to cut big. Under the Impoundment Act, a simple majority is enough to approve presidential rescissions—no filibuster. It’s a chance to take a hacksaw to the $128 billion by which the omnibus exceeded the 2011 domestic-spending caps...
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
“””Republicans could change that.”””
But RINOs wouldn’t do it.
Just watch Kim Strassel explain this to David Asman on Fox Biz’s “After the Bell.”
the Republicans do NOT control both chambers of congress...
that’s only in titular form, an appearance
the RINOs are in bed with the commie/nazi D’s...swamp critters all.... it is that cabal that controls congress
“Republicans could change that. Their control of the White House and both chambers gives them an unusual opportunity to cut big.”
Kimberly? Sweetheart? I sure WISH I could believe you, but I just can’t. I HOPE they prove me wrong. I will GLADLY be wrong.
Please! Prove me wrong, Republicans!
Exactly. Fingers crossed... not holding my breath.
Cut, baby, cut!
Republicans don’t control the Senate
Republicans have, at best, 50 votes in the Senate plus McCain when he’s up to it. Depending on what ox is getting gored it isn’t likely they’ll get that many.
No one else sees the opportunity here.
It's a great challenge but the talk is that the WH is really excited about this.
Pence can cast the deciding vote.
Assuming it's a tie. Right now with McCain's presence iffy it's 50 to 49. All the Democrats need is one defection.
I’m afraid you’re laboring under the delusion that most Republicans in Congress WANT Trump to succeed.
I might be wrong...but let's wait and see.
Or Corker. Or Graham. Or Rubio.
And what if a Democrat defects?
LOL! All the cuts are going to be to programs the Democrats like. They aren't going to defect.
p
I think these rescissions don’t need to be done all as one package. President Trump should have his staff go through the Omnibus and dig out a dozen or so of the most ridiculous spending items, stuff that even a Democrat would be hesitant to support once it’s out in the open.
Run those dozen items through as a package and I’ll bet it would get 60-70 Senate votes.
Then find the next dozen and repeat the process. Continue until you can’t get 50 votes in the Senate. Maybe they’d even get down to forcing an open vote on whether Planned Parenthood needs a half billion dollars of our tax money.
Actually, this could be made into a pretty good game show if Trump puts some effort into it. Tweet out all twelve of the first spending items. I’ll guarantee you the there are at least a dozen items so ridiculous that the public would never support them.
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