Everything begins with the budget, and the Republicans are gun-shy. They have been beaten up so bad in the past, and falsely accused of hating Americans every time they force a government shutdown, that they are afraid to stand up against Obama and the Democrats on federal spending. Frightened, nor not, the war has come to their doorstep, and it has become now. . . or never.
The establishment believes the liberal left narrative that the GOP dominated the last election because the voters were sending a message that they just want the Republicans to get along. In reality, the election was a resounding rejection of Democrat Party policies, and the Obama presidency, and it was the voters' message to the Republicans to shut the liberal-left train of destruction down, and soon.
The federal budget will be where a lot of the war will be fought between President Obama and the new Republican Congress in 2015. The limited government platform of the Republican Party, and the voice of the voters, demands that the GOP reduce the size of government, beginning with a massive reduction in unconstitutional, and unnecessary, federal spending. However, the Republicans have to be smart about it, knowing that any cut will be dubbed as taking food out of the mouths of children, and forcing granny to eat cat food.
Obama has voiced that he will veto anything the Republicans put out that does not fit his royal agenda, and with the fears the Republicans carry through their battered wife syndrome, I fear they may tread more carefully than they should. They should be smart about it, and refuse to cave, but the fears among voters are that when given the opportunity to cave, they will.
Today is Obama's budget deadline. He must submit his own proposal for the budget by today, by law. Historically, because Obama believes he is above the law, and need not worry about what the law says, he is late with his budget, often many months late. No budget has been submitted and approved during his presidency, leaving Congress with having to approve continuing resolutions to keep the fires burning in the hearth of the federal government.
Democrat Party minions that flock around Obama's throne suggest that because of the increased problem of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, of which Obama suggested we had nothing to worry about because they were the "junior varsity team" of terrorism, the President's budget proposal will include more spending for defense. The Budget Control Act of 2011 placed a cap on defense spending, and if that cap is not removed, or raised, by October, spending cuts in defense may ensue.
Next month funding for the Department of Homeland Security will need to be addressed, setting up a showdown regarding the immigration issue. For many voters, immigration is a deal breaker, and if the Republicans cave on immigration, it could be suicide for the GOP.
Democrat Party minions that flock around Obama's throne suggest that because of the increased problem of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, of which Obama suggested we had nothing to worry about because they were the "junior varsity team" of terrorism, the President's budget proposal will include more spending for defense. The Budget Control Act of 2011 placed a cap on defense spending, and if that cap is not removed, or raised, by October, spending cuts in defense may ensue.
Next month funding for the Department of Homeland Security will need to be addressed, setting up a showdown regarding the immigration issue. For many voters, immigration is a deal breaker, and if the Republicans cave on immigration, it could be suicide for the GOP.
The question over the debt limit reappears in March, and the current "no-limit" borrowing allowance expires on March 15. This will once again set up another budget show-down, and as a friend of mind likes to explain, "if your house is full of crap to the ceiling, do you raise the roof to allow more crap to accumulate, or do you flush the toilet?"
The answer should be clear, but for the Congress Critters in Washington, it isn't.
In the end it all comes down to, "Should the government spend more than it has coming in, and do so on items it has no constitutional authority to be throwing money at?" Unfortunately, for the establishment, the answer is a resounding "Yes," accompanied by a confused look on the faces of the politicians when anyone says it ought to be otherwise.
The answer should be clear, but for the Congress Critters in Washington, it isn't.
In the end it all comes down to, "Should the government spend more than it has coming in, and do so on items it has no constitutional authority to be throwing money at?" Unfortunately, for the establishment, the answer is a resounding "Yes," accompanied by a confused look on the faces of the politicians when anyone says it ought to be otherwise.
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), the next chairman of the House Budget Committee, told reporters in mid-December that reviving the “Boehner Rule” might be “wise.” That rule had required “dollar-for-dollar” cuts in exchange for a debt increase.
If the battle is not won by one side, or the other, or if there is no compromise reached, September 30, 2015 is the date when everything will shutdown (sort of). The language, of course, has been specifically chosen to make the voters worry, and angry. The shutdown is not really a shutdown, but a shutdown of non-essential spending. Essential functions remain in place, social security checks still go out, the military still remains in operation, and the lights keep burning in the offices of the government. Which leads one to ask, "if the spending that stops is 'non-essential,' why are we spending those monies in the first place?"
The Republicans have indicated that the time of hastily thrown together massive funding packages has got to stop, and that the budget should be taken care of in a more piecemeal manner with individual appropriations bills. Separate spending bills would also better identify for voters what President Obama is specifically rejecting when he vetoes any of them, placing the blame more easily on him when funding for specific items stops. Individual appropriations bills also ensure certain things are funded, even when funding of other items are rejected.
By the next fiscal year, which begins on the first of October, we will know if the Republicans are unwilling to fight, or if they are willing to stand up to Obama, and the Democrats. The largest clue to how the parameters of the budget confrontation will emerge will be if we still have a battle over the automatic spending cuts that could be triggered across the government under sequestration.
A recent poll has shown that most Republican voters don't feel Speaker of the House John Boehner is the man for the job when it comes to the budget showdown. Only nine percent say they feel strongly favorable about Boehner. 64% of those polled indicated that they felt Speaker Boehner has been ineffective in opposing President Obama's agenda. Despite his unpopularity, and being viewed as weak under pressure, or a part of the establishment that makes the two parties seem more like they are in cahoots with each other, Boehner is not going anywhere, anytime soon, according to the Republican politicians in Washington.
A recent poll has shown that most Republican voters don't feel Speaker of the House John Boehner is the man for the job when it comes to the budget showdown. Only nine percent say they feel strongly favorable about Boehner. 64% of those polled indicated that they felt Speaker Boehner has been ineffective in opposing President Obama's agenda. Despite his unpopularity, and being viewed as weak under pressure, or a part of the establishment that makes the two parties seem more like they are in cahoots with each other, Boehner is not going anywhere, anytime soon, according to the Republican politicians in Washington.
The vote for Speaker comes up on the House floor next month. A favorite among GOP voters, South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy, has indicated he is not interested in becoming Speaker of the House. Gowdy's spokeswoman, Amanda Duvall said, “He is not interested in any leadership positions and believes one can have influence without the title.”
Gowdy's popularity has been on the rise since 2011 when he first took office, especially since he has been the chairman of the special House committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Gowdy's legal background, conservative leanings, and "take no prisoners" attitude, has made him very effective in the high-profile post, and Congressman Gowdy has indicated he would like to continue to focus on his duties rather than seek a leadership position.
In Congress, the rebellion against Boehner does not show the same kind of numbers as the poll of voters. Only 16 to 18 members of the House have been willing to reveal their disappointment in Boehner, and with the budget fight upon us, a split in the ranks over who should be Speaker would not be constructive towards what the GOP should be accomplishing in taking Obama on head on.
The Democrats are already preparing for the showdown, and setting up ways to blame Republicans if things go wrong. Greenspan has stated the economy is still weak, and does not expect any growth soon. . . or at least until "American companies invest more in productive assets and the housing market bounces back." Until then, the economy will remain sluggish. With Obama rejecting any tax cut, or spending cut, the Republicans can muster, that means no relief for American industries are on the horizon, leaving American companies no incentive to be more productive, or to increase their investments. The Democrats, however, when economic growth continues to evade us, will simply say, "See? The Republicans gained control of Congress, and their strategies produced nothing." Of course, if some of the GOP's ideas did make it to light, and the economy did begin to grow, the kudos would all go to the President, just as the budget surplus during Clinton's presidency went to the President when he reluctantly signed the Republican sponsored legislation that led to the surplus.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Budget war looms for Obama, GOP - The Hill
New Poll Shows Tepid GOP Support for Boehner in Role of Speaker - National Review Online
No comments:
Post a Comment