Bush's "Sunset Commission" could eliminate Federal Programs

[Q]

Published on Saturday, April 23, 2005 by Rolling Stone
Bush's Most Radical Plan Yet
With a vote of hand-picked lobbyists, the president could terminate any federal agency he dislikes

by Osha Gray Davidson
 
If you've got something to hide in Washington, the best place to bury it is in the federal budget. The spending plan that President Bush submitted to Congress this year contains 2,000 pages that outline funding to safeguard the environment, protect workers from injury and death, crack down on securities fraud and ensure the safety of prescription drugs. But almost unnoticed in the budget, tucked away in a single paragraph, is a provision that could make every one of those protections a thing of the past. The proposal, spelled out in three short sentences, would give the president the power to appoint an eight-member panel called the "Sunset Commission," which would systematically review federal programs every ten years and decide whether they should be eliminated. Any programs that are not "producing results," in the eyes of the commission, would "automatically terminate unless the Congress took action to continue them."

The administration portrays the commission as a well-intentioned effort to make sure that federal agencies are actually doing their job. "We just think it makes sense," says Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, which crafted the provision. "The goal isn't to get rid of a program -- it's to make it work better." In practice, however, the commission would enable the Bush administration to achieve what Ronald Reagan only dreamed of: the end of government regulation as we know it. With a simple vote of five commissioners -- many of them likely to be lobbyists and executives from major corporations currently subject to federal oversight -- the president could terminate any program or agency he dislikes. No more Environmental Protection Agency. No more Food and Drug Administration. No more Securities and Exchange Commission.

"Ronald Reagan once observed, 'The closest thing to immortality on this earth is a federal government program,' " says Rep. Kevin Brady, a Republican from Texas who has been working for the past nine years to establish a sunset commission. "We need it to clear out the deadwood." Without many of those programs, however, American consumers, workers and investors would be left to the mercy of business. "This is potentially devastating," says Wesley Warren, who served as a senior OMB official in the Clinton administration. "In short order, this could knock out protections that have been built up over a generation."

Others note that the provision goes beyond anything attempted by conservatives in the past. "When you look at this," says Marchant Wentworth, a lobbyist for the Union of Concerned Scientists, "it's almost like the Reagan administration was a trial run." --- http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0423-21.htm

[rumpel]

1. GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

:mad:

bastards!

[rodeodance]

2. this administration is becoming more bold with each passing day!!

The administration portrays the commission as a well-intentioned effort to make sure that federal agencies are actually doing their job. "We just think it makes sense," says Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, which crafted the provision.

[ClintonTyree]

3. When we get a Democratic President in 2006....

he or she will have to spend their entire first term undoing all the bullshit this administration has done. Seriously, it's going to take so long to repeal all of this half-assed crap bush has put in place, nothing else will get done.
What a piece of shit. The only thing I want to see riding into the sunset is bush himself. That will be one of the most glorious days in my life.

[Southsideirish]

22. We have to take back the House and Senate next year - Howard Dean will

make this happen.

[jwirr]

24. 2008 is the Presidential Election - We will have to wait longer.

[ClintonTyree]

36. Sorry, jumping the gun a bit...

yes, both Houses of Legislature are the target for '06. In '08 we can complete the fumigation of Washington, ridding the country of these Republican cockroaches for good.

[jwirr]

42. Amen!!

[Eloriel]

4. There's GOT to be something unConstitutional about that

just gotta be.

And the unfolding totalitarian dictatatorship just keeps rolling on.

[teryang]

37. It's an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power

...and a violation of the separation of powers doctrine.

A session of Congress can enact self limiting legislation or another session of Congress can modify or repeal previous legislation. This power cannot be delegated to another body.

A commission has no powers by definition, it can only recommend. Legislative powers granted to executive agencies are limited by subject matter and are very specific in nature and constained by the enacting legislation.

Unlimited power to terminate legislation will be struck down by the Federal judicial branch. The suit may be brought by any party in interest affect by the legislation. In this case the first party in interest (with standing) would be any member of Congress should the legislation pass.

Edit no. 4:

I noted that on the other thread that the Commission can only recommend legislation. The purpose of the proposed act is to change the rules on the floor to allow only one vote with no amendments to proposed legislation, in other words, take it or leave it. I think that this two impermissably binds and impermissably encroaches on Congressional power. The net effect is having the current Congress disempower itself.

[NVMojo]

5. They say that fifty cents of every federal tax dollar goes to the WAR!!

Obviously that will increase once supporting America goes away ....fuckers, all of them.

[Disturbed]

7. Bush Junta goal.

Trash all Social Programs.

[TahitiNut]

6. Would the Sunset Commission ever terminate the Sunset Commission?

:eyes: Since, by statute, it would produce no results for ten years, it seems a logical choice.

[FloridaPat]

8. Is the defense department produing results? None that I can

actually see that are worth it to the security of the nation. Eliminating that one would save a bundle. What about congress and the nuts in the White House? With the internet availabe, we could have voting online for every single thing that would pass in congress. We really don't need these go-betweens. Save a bundle there. That would get more people interested in how the country is run.

So what do you think - first let's get rid of * and congress. Then we can vote on each budget item ourselves.

[mopinko]

12. when we get a candidate who says

this


we'll know we have taken our country back.

[AuntiBush]

17. That's a GREAT Idea, FloridaPat

Yeah... I've been saying the same for sometime:

1. We vote on the Internet. Think of it. You can printout who you voted for and NO ONE can tell ya any different, right!
2. We'll be able to claim ourselves, "we the American people" as a DEMOCRAT or whatever... end of story.
3. Our Democrats will hold voting on various amendments that only constitute us Dem's and we log in once a week, or once a month. Pick our issues and vote on it.

That way, if the other half of the brain-dead a-hole cowardly blockheads, the Repuks Freepers can have it "their way," and we can have it "our way," regardless of where we live around the country.

First on the agenda: We vote our own President in. Sounds great already.
They have their Bu$hie & Co., and we have ours. And if the other's need taxes, well hey... they can get it out of their own crappy kitty. We'll have our's and save ourselves a bundle even more!

Second on the agenda, vote in our exile President/Vice Prez... The Kerry and Edwards team!

Bus alas, we're under Tyranny & the Sunset Commission. Seems our freedoms will end when the sun goes down, huh.

[Daphne08]

9. Do our Democrats know about this??

They should!!

[jwirr]

27. My guess is that the repugs want our Dems to

use the filibuster on this idea - which is also in the budget bill. We would be forced to close down the government and people are uncomfortable with that idea. Yet I think if they push us too far we have to do it. This is an idea that is dangerous. It totally destroys the checks and balance system if the courts cannot or will not overturn the commission.

[chomskysright]

33. when I've phone Harry Reid's office for the past 4 weeks, I've said:

ITS OK: SHUT THE SENATE DOWN IF YOU NEED TO MR. REID.

[punpirate]

10. I never fail to be amazed...

... at the brass balls these guys have... evil bastards, all of `em, especially Congress. They've given away their power to declare war, and now they're going to give away their power to create and fund the government.

It's truly astounding. In theory, this commission could simply end Social Security and Medicare by saying these programs were ineffective.

:grr:

[Cha]

14. They're just tryrants who have

all the money, power, and media at their disposal..they will not stop destroying America until she wakes the fuck up.

The media needs to be protested on a daily basis.

[AuntiBush]

18. It's astonishingly SICK!

Sick! You hit a major point in your post: Social Security... sure. Then Medicare. Hey, who needs health care in the one-time greatest country in the world, right.

Sure, why not. FDR took the Chimps grand-pappy off the World Bank Commission and they're not over it yet... that will be the first to go.

I'm running out of words to describe these bastards:

Evil. Sick. Wicked. Extremists. Terrorists. Tyrants. Fascists. Brainwasher's. Fear-Mongrels, War-Power-$$$ Hungry Greedy Mongrel Bastards. Help... running out of words to describe them.

Like Germany said... "We had our Hitler, and now you (Americans) have your's.

[Roland99]

11. The idea of eliminating ineffective programs is a good one...BUT...

It would have to be a truly bi-partisan committee composed of an even number of members.

Our government is HUGE...freakin' HUGE!

The current fiscal budget is something like $20,000...$22,000 per person per year. That's INSANE!


Cuts have to come from somewhere. Now, personally, I'd like to see the military lose about 30-40% of its budget and force us into a defensive mode. We don't have threats to our national security other than terrorists and a humongo military isn't going to stop them.

[AuntiBush]

19. I agree with you on that 1 point...

I say cut the military by 50-60% and use our forces here at home to defend our borders. Our Nat'l Security is under attack by this administration and that a-hole blockheads freeptards!

[JDPriestly]

13. Our only answer

is to elect Democrats into the House first, and the Senate later. We need to start working on this now.

[sam sarrha]

15. Bu$h is Dictating to the legislature and the judishery..so he's a Dictator

start calling him what he is..

[annabanana]

16. let's kick this to Monday

Make sure everyone gets to see it..

[liberalla]

35. kick, kick, kick!!!

[AzDar]

20. jesus..... ... kick!

[McGonigle]

21. Sort of Ironical

that this article is written by someone named "OSHA."

[Terre]

23. Already posted

on this thread that I saw first. But this one links to the Rolling Stone article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1740819

But just to move this thread up a bit, I'll recommend this one as well.

edited to say: God, I.need.a.break! This is the SAME Rolling Stone article. LOL

[gumby]

25. The wingnuts are going ballistic of 'unelected judges,'

but they want an unelected eight person panel to take the place of Congress. Mindbending.

The difference is that the panel will be their bought and paid for shills. The judiciary still has some scruples. These fascist coupsters have none.

[Q]

26. It's telling that the Bushies are even thinking about eliminating...

...(especially new deal) programs in order to save taxpayer bucks...but they don't even blink an eye when the Pentagon literally 'loses' trillions of dollars. What's being done about finding or recovering THAT money? Nothing of course. The Pentagon is a large black hole where tax dollars disappear into defense contractor/Bush Supporter pockets in the name of 'national security'.

[sellitman]

28. The first thing the Sunset Commission should terminate is bush.

:patriot:

[Joebert]

29. The actual text of the Sunset Commission.

At http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/budget.html

You can download

(PDF) http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/pdf/budget/effective.pdf

Which is the Making Government More Effective Document.
Page 6/10 in the PDF, or 54 overall has the exact paragraph.

First, the Administration is proposing the establishment of a Sunset Commission to provide regular
scrutiny of Federal programs. This bipartisan commission would review each Federal program
on a schedule established by the Congress to determine whether it is producing results and should
continue to exist. Programs would automatically terminate according to the schedule unless the Congress
took action to continue them

[Q]

30. There is no such thing as a 'bipartisan commission'...

...as long as the Bushie Republicans are in control of our government. This 'panel' of cronies would be no more bipartisan and independent than the Bush 9-11 commission.

[agincourt]

31. It don't take much imagination to see,

that with today's current lineup, the programs they would try to eliminate are the useful ones. Anything that stood in the way of robber barons would be "deadwood".

[asjr]

32. It is way past time we took to the streets. That is the only

way we will ever rid ourselves of this corrupt administration.

[Up2Late]

34. Why am I NOT surprised?

There are not words:mad:

[Q]

38. It's not exactly a secret anymore...

...that the Bushie Right wants to shrink the government down to a size where they can 'drown it in a bathtub'. But they only have three years left (hopefully) and they can't do it fast enough because REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT is getting in their way.

The 'sunset commission' will give them the ability to do what they've wanted to do for decades: eliminate programs that benefit the people and keep those that benefit the ruling class and their 'military-industrial complex'.

[bonzotex]

39. Stealth devolution

This is exactly the kind of sleaze the Repugs have been shoveling behind the shed for 5 years. They have these great big stupid ideas (Social Security, NCLB, Iraq Failures) that draw lots of attention and we cheer when they fail and look like idiots. Meanwhile the Repug grunts in the Fed bureaucracy are gutting 70 years of Progress without any significant notice or debate. They are looting our Nation and laughing. I believe they totally don't give a shit whether their big ideas get passed. The real agenda is the daily grind of eliminating anything that resembles what they see as social welfare and redirecting the "saved" tax dollars into their pockets.


There is not a single bill proposed crafted and passed by Republicans in the last 5 years that was worthy of any support by Democrats. We will continue to lose until our elected Democrats realize that bipartisanship is a joke, the Republican Party is out of control, and there is absolutely no reason to compromise with them on anything.


We must to obstruct, attack, scream bloody murder, fight with every tool we have until we kick these radical thugs to the curb. Screw pragmatic collegiality. If there is a single line item, a single paragraph, a single clause in any giant omnibus bill that compromises our core beliefs, the vote should be NO. That is their attitude toward us. If they can pass legislation on their own, fine let them take the fall for it when people wake up, feel the pain, get sick, and bury the dead.

[teachermarie]

40. So, would they toss the FCC?

Would we be able to watch "Deadwood" without fear?

[annabanana]

41. without the FCC

There would only be one channel, owned by one company, "THE Company".
so
no Deadwood at all..

[Q]

43. I think the idea is that they would get RID of the deadwood...

...that is...programs that they couldn't control or use to their benefit. I doubt that the FCC would be tossed because so far they've been successful at making it work for their cause. Right now the media isn't dangerous to them because it's nothing more than one-sided punditry and infotainment.

It's more likely that programs like environmental and industry regulation would be the first to go. Anything that tended to cut into the profit margin of the church/corporate state.

[lies and propaganda]

44. damnit!

Those repugnant bastards! See ya later battered women homes, drug rehabs, welfare, just about anything those fatcats will never need.
Cause here in BushCo Amurika, we only give a shit about you before youre born. Once youre out, go fuck yourself.