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GOP outlines 2.5 Trillion in spending cuts (none to defense)

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Phillyrocket, Jan 20, 2011.

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  1. Phillyrocket

    Phillyrocket Member

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    Warning long list ahead:

    http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/01/gop-lawmakers-unveil-25-trillion-spending-cuts-package.html

    Less than a week before President Obama is set to deliver his State of the Union address next Tuesday, a group of House Republicans today introduced a proposal to cut spending from more than 100 federal programs and cut back spending levels by $2.5 trillion over the next decade.

    The bill, known as the Spending Reduction Act, would hold non-security discretionary spending for Fiscal Year 2011 to FY 2008 levels, and freeze non-defense discretionary spending to FY 2006 levels for a 10-year budget window – saving almost $2.3 trillion over the next 10 years, according to the Republican Study Committee (RSC).

    Rep. Jim Jordan, Chairman of the RSC, said if the Congress does not act soon to make serious cuts to spending, the growing national debt could spark a new financial crisis.

    “In my time in public life, I have never seen the American people more receptive, more ready for the tough-love measures that need to be taken to help fix the country. The American people get it,” Jordan said. “The real challenge for elected officials in this Congress, at this point in history, is to live up to the standard the American people have displayed over the last year and a half.”

    The national debt has nearly doubled over the past four years from $8.6 trillion to $14 trillion. Compared to current projections from the Congressional Budget Office, Jordan said the bill would save taxpayers an estimated $2.5 trillion through 2021.

    Rep. Scott Garrett, R-New Jersey, said the legislation fulfills the GOP’s pledge to cut spending back to 2008 levels and would also return $45 billion from the stimulus bill that has not yet been spent.

    “We can accomplish what the American public wants us to do, and that is reduce spending,” Garrett said. “Principally, we hit upon three -- about three or four different points. The three major ones are mandatory spending, emergency spending; but primarily it's in the area of discretionary spending.”

    At the start of FY 2012, spending is cut back to 2006 levels and froze for the next 10 years. To help achieve these savings, the bill shrinks the size and cost of the civilian federal workforce and specifically targets over 100 budget items and spending reforms, according to the committee.

    The bill would save $30 billion by eliminating federal control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and would save about $80 billion by prohibiting any FY 2011 funding from being spent to implement any provisions in the health care law that was repealed in the House Wednesday.

    The measure would also eliminate automatic pay increases for civilian federal workers for five years and would cut the civilian workforce by 15 percent through attrition -- permitting the hiring of only one new worker for every two workers who leave the federal workforce until the reduction target has been met.

    House Democrats largely rejected the plan, arguing that the proposed cuts only create more unemployment while jeopardizing the economic recovery.

    “After reading this radical proposal by House Republicans, we now know why they have been so tight-lipped about their budget plans. The likelihood of this becoming law is around zero, but even putting forward a plan that puts more people out of work and endangers our economic recovery calls into question how serious the GOP is about tackling our nation’s most difficult challenges,” said Doug Thornell, spokesman for the ranking member of the House Budget Committee Chris Van Hollen. “House Republicans need to realize that the campaign is over, the time for political stunts has past, and they have a responsibility to move the economy forward not backwards.”

    Here’s the list of proposed cuts to federal programs, which save a total of about $330 billion, according to the committee:

    •
    •International Fund for Ireland. $17 million annual savings.
    •Save America’s Treasures Program. $25 million annual savings. •Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy. $445 million annual savings. •Legal Services Corporation. $420 million annual savings.
    •National Endowment for the Arts. $167.5 million annual savings.
    •National Endowment for the Humanities. $167.5 million annual savings.
    •Hope VI Program. $250 million annual savings.
    •Amtrak Subsidies. $1.565 billion annual savings.
    •Eliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.
    •U.S. Trade Development Agency. $55 million annual savings.
    •Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy. $20 million annual savings.
    •Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding. $47 million annual savings.
    •John C. Stennis Center Subsidy. $430,000 annual savings.
    •Community Development Fund. $4.5 billion annual savings.
    •Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid. $24 million annual savings.
    •Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half. $7.5 billion annual savings.
    •Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%. $600 million annual savings.
    •Essential Air Service. $150 million annual savings.
    •Technology Innovation Program. $70 million annual savings.
    •Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. $125 million annual savings.
    •Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization. $530 million annual savings.
    •Beach Replenishment. $95 million annual savings.
    •New Starts Transit. $2 billion annual savings.
    •Exchange Programs for Alaska, Natives Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts. $9 million annual savings.
    •Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants. $2.5 billion annual savings.
    •Title X Family Planning. $318 million annual savings.
    •Appalachian Regional Commission. $76 million annual savings.
    •Economic Development Administration. $293 million annual savings.
    •Programs under the National and Community Services Act. $1.15 billion annual savings.
    •Applied Research at Department of Energy. $1.27 billion annual savings.
    •FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. $200 million annual savings.
    •Energy Star Program. $52 million annual savings.
    •Economic Assistance to Egypt. $250 million annually.
    •U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.39 billion annual savings.
    •General Assistance to District of Columbia. $210 million annual savings.
    •Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. $150 million annual savings.
    •Presidential Campaign Fund. $775 million savings over ten years.
    •No funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.
    •End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
    •Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually.
    •IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget. $1.8 billion savings over ten years.
    •Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees. $1 billion total savings.
    •Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees. $1.2 billion savings over ten years.
    •Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion total savings.
    •Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.
    •Eliminate Mohair Subsidies. $1 million annual savings.
    •Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. $12.5 million annual savings.
    •Eliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings.
    •USDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.
    •Subsidy to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). $93 million annual savings.
    •Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $56.2 million annual savings.
    •Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs. $900 million savings.
    •Ready to Learn TV Program. $27 million savings.
    •HUD Ph.D. Program.
    •Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.
     
    #1 Phillyrocket, Jan 20, 2011
  2. Cannonball

    Cannonball Contributing Member

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    You could cut the defense budget in half and you'd get $3.5 trillion over 10 years. Even lowering the defense budget by $100 B would get you pretty far without having to touch other programs.

    And of course, there's the extra $700 B that went to tax cuts for the rich.
     
    #2 Cannonball, Jan 20, 2011
  3. Child_Plz

    Child_Plz Member

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    While I agree with some of the cuts (ex: congress travel) some of the others (ex: legal service for the poor, education) would have serious ill effects down the road.

    Still these cuts are not enough, the military budgets has to be cut to a manageable size.

    [​IMG]
     
    #3 Child_Plz, Jan 20, 2011
  4. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    So the republicans have proposed cutting lots of money and taking it away from the lower 2/3 of America to give tax breaks to the upper 2%

    Gotta love the reverse Robin Hood
     
    #4 Sweet Lou 4 2, Jan 20, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  5. SunsRocketsfan

    SunsRocketsfan Member

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    First off I agree the defense budget needs to be cut in tough times. But where in the world did you get that Republicans want to take away from the lower 2/3 of America give it to the top 2% from the info posted???
    I agree that in tough times some of those programs are not necessary and need to be cut. Also keep in mind that it is the upper middle/upper class that has the highest tax burdens and funds most of these programs in the first place so how is that a reverse robin hood?
     
    #5 SunsRocketsfan, Jan 21, 2011
  6. SunsRocketsfan

    SunsRocketsfan Member

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    very interesting. When was this chart created? Is this recent?
     
    #6 SunsRocketsfan, Jan 21, 2011
  7. Commodore

    Commodore Contributing Member

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    No it's future generations that are having their wealth confiscated in the form of current borrowing.

    There is no wealth transfer in these proposals, only borrowing less.
     
    #7 Commodore, Jan 21, 2011
  8. SunsRocketsfan

    SunsRocketsfan Member

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    yup exactly...

    but people like sweetlou just love to find any chance they can get to blame the other side
     
    #8 SunsRocketsfan, Jan 21, 2011
  9. PointForward

    PointForward Member

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    any spending cuts that don't include the defense budget are ridiculous. Defense spending is absolutely suffocating this country's economy.

    Now that I got that out of the way, I really got depressed reading through this list. Why in the hell does the government spend all that money on freaking bull$h!t? Endowment for the arts? really? humanities? are you $h!tting me? printing and binding services for congress? they can't print their own $h!t at home? Federal travel budget? "ready to learn TV program -27 million"? WTF does that even mean. Now I know those are just a few millions here and there, but god damn do they add up or what? Congress needs to realize that their job is to run this country with the optimal, bare minimum amount of resources collected from the taxpayer. There is no place for bull$h!t programs for the advancements of the arts or to encourage tree huggers to hug their trees harder or to clean the beaches or to freaking teach people how to internet. :eek:
     
    #9 PointForward, Jan 21, 2011
  10. Billy Bob

    Billy Bob Member

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    I agree with most of what you said like the arts and humanities stuff. But we need to keep tech research programs. That's the only way we can stay ahead of other countries. We also need to cut the DEA's budget and stop sending money to South America to "aid" fighting drugs.
     
    #10 Billy Bob, Jan 21, 2011
  11. FFz

    FFz Member

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    cutting arts and humanities and PBS? Wtf... THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!

    [​IMG]
     
    #11 FFz, Jan 21, 2011
  12. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    Nah, just to point out their hypocrisy. But thanks for the lie and personal attack there. Very nice of you.
     
    #12 Sweet Lou 4 2, Jan 21, 2011
  13. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    Ha! Now that's funny coming from the defender of deficit building republicans.


    That's why every Republicans Administration for the last 40 years has turned surpluses into major deficits.
     
    #13 Sweet Lou 4 2, Jan 21, 2011
  14. Deji McGever

    Deji McGever יליד טקסני

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    I agree...if there's one problem with America, clearly, it's that it's WAY too educated and cultured.

    I'm waiting for the Tea Party Patriots to point out that the standing army didn't exist until after the Spanish-American War and is unconstitutional and very much counter to the intentions of the Founding Fathers who were against any imperial ambitions....since defending the Constitution and the intentions of Jefferson and Adams are what matter most....amirite?
     
    #14 Deji McGever, Jan 21, 2011
  15. mc mark

    mc mark Contributing Member

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    color me unimpressed --

    Republican Study Committee Member Can’t Explain How His Spending Cut Plan Adds Up…Because It Doesn’t

    The Republican Study Committee (RSC) today released a plan that supposedly outlines $2.5 trillion in spending cuts over ten years. But as The Wonk Room pointed out, only $330 billion of the $2.5 trillion is specified, while the rest is simply hand-waving about keeping non-defense discretionary spending at the 2006 level for a decade. As TPM’s Brian Buetler put it, “In other words, it punts the question of what to cut to future Congresses, which could just as easily bust the cap.”

    Today, Rep. John Campbell (R-CA), an RSC member, appeared on Fox News with Neil Cavuto, and Cavuto also evidently noticed that the vast bulk of the RSC’s savings come from unspecified cuts. When he asked Campbell explain how the RSC magically turned $330 billion into $2.5 trillion, Campbell dropped the ball:

    CAVUTO: I don’t want to pick it apart too much, because you always appreciate the efforts at spending cuts, but a lot of these eliminations and reductions, Congressman, realistically come to $330 billion of the $2.5 trillion of proposed cuts. So, in other words, the real meat, up-front cuts, while still substantial, about $330 billion, ain’t the $2.5 trillion. So what is the more realistic figure?

    CAMPBELL: The more realistic figure than the two, oh, you mean other than what’s listed on here?
     
    #15 mc mark, Jan 21, 2011
  16. DCkid

    DCkid Contributing Member

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    And no mention of the mortgage interest deduction. $120 billion per year. Compare that with the meager amounts in the above list.
     
    #16 DCkid, Jan 21, 2011
  17. Child_Plz

    Child_Plz Member

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    Yes this chart is recent, the military needs its funding cut if we want to seriously address the debt problem.
     
    #17 Child_Plz, Jan 21, 2011
  18. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    CUT THE DEFENSE BUDGET...who are we DEFENDING against these days?

    Or start charging other countries a security fee......

    DD
     
    #18 DaDakota, Jan 21, 2011
  19. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    Uh, current borrowing is at historically low interest rates. Much lower than borrowing in say, the 70's or the 80's.

    So, how about you, did you have your wealth complicated by higher-yielding governemnt bonds issued in teh Reagan years? Yes? No? Can you provide me an estimate?

    Or are you just dimly repeating slogans you heard the man on the TV box say as you put on your XXL sweatshirt on your way to Wal Mart.

    Long run deficit troubles have pretty much nothing - ZERO - to do with current borrowing and everything to do with future health care costs/defense spending. End of argument.
     
    #19 SamFisher, Jan 21, 2011
  20. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

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    Did Congress take Econ 101? Aren't you supposed to run deficits by increasing spending and decreasing taxes during recessions and increase taxes and raise taxes during good times.

    The Bush administration and the republicans really blew it on the deficits 10 years ago and now we are all paying the price.
     
    #20 rockbox, Jan 21, 2011
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