WP: GOP Budget Cuts Face Varied Opposition (D: "day of reckoning coming")

[Rose Siding]

A full-court press by liberal activists, coupled with conflicting regional interests, is threatening to sink a far-reaching Republican budget bill in the House that was designed to slice $54 billion in federal spending over the next five years.

House GOP leaders said yesterday that they will push for a vote on the measure Thursday, and that they are prepared to do what it takes to put them over the top. That may mean temporarily ditching a provision opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling or throwing aside an offshore oil drilling provision to win balking Florida Republicans.

But for now, Republicans concede they are well short of the votes needed to pass a bill that would require longer work hours to qualify for welfare, allow states to impose new costs on Medicaid beneficiaries, cut assistance for child support enforcement, trim student loan spending, cut back agriculture supports, and curb eligibility for food stamps.
......
Such misgivings are being exploited by liberal activists, who have organized protests in House members' home districts, phone campaigns and e-mail blitzes. The same umbrella organization of liberal groups and trade unions that helped stymie President Bush's Social Security proposals has turned its attention to the budget plan.
......
"This is going to test whether moderate Republicans are really moderate," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "There are a ton of people who will have a day of reckoning coming."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/07/AR2005110701545.html

[enid602]

1. cuts

$54B savings over a four year period? Doesn't seem like much when you figure we now spend over a half a trilion a YEAR on defense. What about the $8 to $9B (these are US funds; God only knows how much of the Iraqi funds we wasted)that was unaccounted for in Bremer's occupational gov't?

[wookie294]

2. Reagan revolution comes home to roost

Contrary to what Reagan told us, cutting "wasteful" government spending was never going to balance the budget. Americans love big government, but refuse to admit it. We were duped since 1980 into thinking that cutting funds for "welfare queens" and "international aid" will balance the budget. LOL. Idiots. We are so fucked as a nation because of the ignorance and wishful thinking. Very sad. And now America wants to believe evolution isn't real and "intelligent design" is reality. People thought the "Passion of the Christ" was a religious event. LOL. It was a fucking movie, folks. Jesus! America is fucked in so many ways because of its mass denial. Instead, America is a floundering CULT of morons.

Okay, I'm off my rant. PEACE! :-)

[Rose Siding]

3. They say that Blunt can't get the votes and that will strengthen DeLay

But I say, go go GO LIBERAL GROUPS

[wookie294]

4. I like this paragraph...

Such misgivings are being exploited by liberal activists, who have organized protests in House members' home districts, phone campaigns and e-mail blitzes. The same umbrella organization of liberal groups and trade unions that helped stymie President Bush's Social Security proposals has turned its attention to the budget plan.

Right on, Rose! Nail these GOP assholes to the wall!!

And drilling in ANWR could still be stopped, says the article. Yippee!!

[Rose Siding]

5. This one's good, too-

This week, Democrats will hold a conference call with a Wisconsin college student to talk about student loan cuts and will serve lunch at a District school to highlight the budget's impact on subsidized school lunches. They will also stage a mock hearing to tar the entire budget as an effort to finance tax cuts for the rich on the backs of the poor.

Great ideas to spread the word. People don't want SCHOOL LUNCHES cut! Repubs won't be able to do this in the light of day.

[rodeodance]

10. nice--real nice.

.....Such misgivings are being exploited by liberal activists, who have organized protests in House members' home districts, phone campaigns and e-mail blitzes. The same umbrella organization of liberal groups and trade unions that helped stymie President Bush's Social Security proposals has turned its attention to the budget plan.

"It's a different group every week, coming in here, making calls," said John Gentzel, communications director for Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), whose suburban Philadelphia district has been "saturated" with budget protests. "It's just one group after another."

House Democrats have compiled lists of committee votes for cuts to agriculture, student aid, child support and health care programs, as well as for oil drilling in the Alaska refuge, that Democratic leaders vow to use in next year's midterm congressional elections.

"This is going to test whether moderate Republicans are really moderate," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "There are a ton of people who will have a day of reckoning coming."

[annabanana]

13. How many "different groups" does it have to be...

Until it's not the "same umbrella" "exploiting" misgivings... and just the American people making their wants and needs known?

One "group" per citizen?

sheesh..

[Skittles]

11. EXCELLENT RANT

OMG wookie294, what the f***??? It was the Reagan years when I first noticed the extreme decline in cognitive thinking (Reagan made idiocy fashionable) - now I feel like I live in some sort of alternate universe; I no longer recognize America.

[rodeodance]

6. "There are a ton of people who will have a day of reckoning coming."

[rodeodance]

7. these groups need our help!--however we can--participate please.

write letters, sign petitions, whatever.....

....The same umbrella organization of liberal groups and trade unions that helped stymie President Bush's Social Security proposals has turned its attention to the budget plan.

[rodeodance]

8. "$70 billion tax cut is awaiting action" --The immorality of this!

The Senate last week narrowly approved legislation that would trim about $35 billion from the budget over five years, but that bill largely avoided the direct cuts to beneficiaries of federal anti-poverty programs contained in the House budget measure. Those proposed cuts have created strong misgivings among some Republican moderates, especially since a five-year, $70 billion tax cut is awaiting action that would more than offset the savings in the budget cuts.

Complicating the problem for GOP leaders are a few narrow provisions in the House bill, such as lifting the moratorium on offshore oil drilling, that have elicited protests from rank-and-file Republicans who are usually in the leadership's camp. Rep. Mark Green (R-Wis.), a leadership ally who is running for governor of his dairy state, wants the House bill to match the Senate's extension of the federal milk support program.

"They are a long way away from getting the votes," said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.). "Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, whatever -- for every person, there's an issue."......

[rodeodance]

9. They are cutting needed social programs to pay for an immoral war--it

is as simple as that to me!!

[aquart]

12. No, dear. To pay for yachts and mansions.

Americans will starve so one percent can have the very BEST caviar. Americans will live in cold darkness so Donald Trump can have 20 $150,000 apiece chandeliers.

Let's hear it for the real leeches: the CEO master class, the Ken Lays.

[ninkasi]

15. You are both right

Yes, tax cuts for the richest...and now they want even MORE, in addition to a sky high budget for destroying Iraq, are both factors. Of course, even the war in Iraq is in reality a gimmick to funnel reconstruction money to Cheney and the other greed bloated CEOs. The defense budget includes billions in payments to companies which provide arms, and equipment, and those CEOs are on the gravy train, too.

Unless the American people wake up, and realize that the majority of us are being robbed, and the money given to the ruling class, we will continue this downward spiral, and the greedy will demand more sacrifices from the ones who have little left to give. More tax cuts for Paris Hilton, and to pay for it, let's just let granny starve and freeze, and condemn children to poverty and hunger, and hold ourselves up as patriotic, moral, values driven, self-righteous Americans. :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Please -- ditch drilling in ANWR! nt

[Rose Siding]

16. The Hill's got a version, too: "The votes are not there for spending"

With Democrats expected to oppose the legislation en bloc, GOP leaders need most of their party’s lawmakers to pass the Deficit Reduction Act, a sweeping bill that trims spending and makes regulatory changes.

As House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Majority Leader Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and their leadership team rally the conference, GOP lawmakers are actively working against provisions included in a version of the bill marked up last week by the House Budget Committee.

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/110805/news3.html

There's a list of "on the fence" R's at the end of the article, along with their particular sticking points, ranging from: Generally lukewarm, Package as a whole, Medicaid cuts, ANWR, food stamps, Education Committee savings, ANWR, foster-care cuts, to Offshore drilling.

They're on the ropes.

[BR_Parkway]

17. When did we get organized enough to have our own "umbrella

organization" ?

Such misgivings are being exploited by liberal activists, who have organized protests in House members' home districts, phone campaigns and e-mail blitzes. The same umbrella organization of liberal groups and trade unions that helped stymie President Bush's Social Security proposals has turned its attention to the budget plan.