Is Sen. Paul the only federal legislator serious about cutting deficit?
Look, I appreciate all the efforts Republicans are making to trim some fat off the federal budget. And in normal times, I would commend them. Indeed, today, I laud their efforts, but I’m beginning to wonder if they fail to appreciate the task at hand.
You see, the federal government has a deficit of well over one trillion dollars, well, actually closer to 1.5 trillion . And one of the leading Republican budget hawks, the fetching chairman of the House Budget Committee has proposed cutting the federal budget by $74 billion. But, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will have none of that, calling the Wisconsin Republican’s plan “unworkable” and “more draconian than we originally anticipated”. Um, Harry, doncha think trillion-dollar deficits are kind of, you know, um, well, “unworkable.”
“If they think,” Glenn Reynolds quips, “that cutting a mere $74 billion out of the bloated federal budget is ‘draconian,’ they’re really out of touch with reality.”
One legislator show does seem in touch with reality, at least in matters budgetary, is Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). Taking a “bowie knife to the federal budget,” that first-termer has proposed slicing $500 billion from the federal budget. (Via Instapundit.)
Now, I don’t agree with all the cuts Senator Paul would make, but at least he’s putting forward the truly draconian level of cuts the federal government must make to put its fiscal house in order. What Harry Reid calls draconian is really just scraping at the edges.
And the Kentucky Republican’s draconian cuts would only reduce the deficit by one-third its current amount.
UPDATE: Good news. Paul Ryan’s proposed $74 billion cuts (which Harry Reid calls “draconian”) are only just the beginning:
From Ryan’s perspective, however, the cuts are only the beginning. “This is just a down-payment by Republicans to get spending under control,” he said in a statement. “House Republicans will continue to tackle the country’s fiscal problems by advancing spending cuts and spending reforms, and by charting a new course with a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year.”
Via Instapundit.
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Pingback by Tweets that mention GayPatriot » Is Sen. Paul the only federal legislator serious about cutting deficit? -- Topsy.com — February 4, 2011 @ 5:56 am - February 4, 2011
It’s truly frightening that our political-class considers that returning to the already-bloated 2008 spending-levels is untenable. It wasn’t untenable in 2008…
What about returning to 2001 spending-levels? Those spending-levels addressed a recession then, why not the same now? It’s not the “war spending”, it’s the domestic waste, corruption and taxpayer-funded largess.
Comment by Ted B. (Charging Rhino) — February 4, 2011 @ 7:42 am - February 4, 2011
1: “It’s truly frightening that our political-class considers that returning to the already-bloated 2008 spending-levels is untenable.”
Even more frightening: Democrats currently in the House & Senate consider 2011 spending levels untenable. And if it hadn’t been for the Tea Party movement and the electoral shellacking of the Democrats, they would still be spending with reckless abandon and responding to the objections of conservatives with “STFU, neocon!”
Comment by Sean A — February 4, 2011 @ 9:50 am - February 4, 2011
Congress has to bite the bullet and stop this madness of spending money that is not there!
Comment by Stephen Miller — February 4, 2011 @ 11:04 am - February 4, 2011
Why not cut the Government to 1998 levels? The Government was plenty big enough at the end of the Clinton Era, and liberals are always bragging about how awesome it was that Clinton (snicker) was running a surplus in his presidency. So, they should be happy to have spending at Clinton Era levels.
Comment by V the K — February 4, 2011 @ 11:12 am - February 4, 2011
Our only hope out of bankrupting our nation? Paul & Paul.
Comment by Bruce (GayPatriot) — February 4, 2011 @ 4:08 pm - February 4, 2011
Republicans aren’t serious about cutting the deficit. They just say that to win over suckers like you all.
Suckers!
Comment by Steve Barnes — February 4, 2011 @ 4:25 pm - February 4, 2011
#7 – Please cite proof of your rantings, Steffie. Otherwise STFU.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — February 4, 2011 @ 4:30 pm - February 4, 2011
Is Steve an old troll under a new nick? The posting style seems familiar…
Comment by The_Livewire — February 4, 2011 @ 5:08 pm - February 4, 2011
I think he’s a parody troll, but it’s hard to tell because the idiot left is so hard to parody.
Comment by V the K — February 4, 2011 @ 5:09 pm - February 4, 2011
I still haven´t heard anybody on the Hill suggest ending foreign aid. See my comment # 40 to the thread ¨Something is Missing in Egypt Crisis
Comment by Roberto — February 4, 2011 @ 6:50 pm - February 4, 2011
Steve, at least, they’re putting forward spending cuts. I don’t see any suggestions coming from the Democrats!
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — February 5, 2011 @ 1:30 am - February 5, 2011
Roberto,
In another National Review article here Rand Paul isn’t sparing foreign aid.
Comment by The_Livewire — February 5, 2011 @ 10:48 am - February 5, 2011
Livewire,
Thanks for the info. I haven´t seen National Review in a while. It´s not available in El Salvador.
Comment by Roberto — February 5, 2011 @ 6:08 pm - February 5, 2011
NP Roberto.
Comment by The_Livewire — February 5, 2011 @ 8:39 pm - February 5, 2011
[...] our elected leaders were responsible guardians of the public treasury, those officials proposing budget cuts more drastic than some dubbed “draconian” would be seen not skinflints, but as [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » A step in the right direction, but that still leaves a trillion-dollar deficit* — February 12, 2011 @ 1:12 am - February 12, 2011