Spending cuts seem here to stay
By The Associated Press
This article was published March 3, 2013 at 2:34 p.m.
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The spending cuts are here to stay if you believe the public posturing Sunday.
The Senate’s Republican leader Mitch McConnell called them modest. House Speaker John Boehner isn’t sure the cuts will hurt the economy. The White House’s top economic adviser, Gene Sperling, said the pain isn’t that bad right now.
So after months of dire warnings, Washington didn’t implode, government didn’t shut down and the $85 billion budget trigger didn’t spell doom. And no one has a tangible proposal for rolling back those cuts.
“This modest reduction of 2.4 percent in spending over the next six months is a little more than the average American experienced just two months ago, when their own pay went down when the payroll tax holiday expired,” McConnell said.
“I don’t know whether it’s going to hurt the economy or not,” Boehner said. “I don’t think anyone quite understands how the sequester is really going to work.”
And Sperling, making the rounds on the Sunday news shows, added: “On Day One, it will not be as harmful as it will be over time.”
Both parties cast blame on the other for the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts but gave little guidance on what to expect in the coming weeks. Republicans and Democrats pledged to retroactively undo the cuts but signaled no hints as to how that process would start to take shape. Republicans insisted there would be no new taxes and Democrats refused to talk about any bargain without them.
All of this comes ahead of a new, March 27 deadline that could spell a government shutdown and a debt-ceiling clash coming in May.
Boehner said his chamber would move this week to pass a measure to keep government open through Sept. 30. McConnell said a government shutdown was unlikely to come from his side of Capitol Hill. The White House said it would dodge the shutdown and roll back the cuts, which hit domestic and defense spending in equal share.
Obama and the Republicans have been fighting over federal spending since the opposition party regained control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm elections. The budget cuts were designed in 2011 to be so ruthless that both sides would be forced to find a better deal, but they haven’t despite two years to find a compromise.
The $85 billion in cuts apply to the remainder of the 2013 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. But without a deal they will continue slashing government spending by about $1 trillion more over a 10-year period.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... March 3, 2013 at 3:15 p.m.
We need to reduce spending by reducing the size of Government.
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Whippersnapper says... March 3, 2013 at 3:31 p.m.
Unfortunately, nobody could read this article as the sequester caused the end of the world. What? That was all hyperbole? We're all still here? Oh well, maybe the President will stop exaggerating about the end of the world this has caused.
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Coralie says... March 3, 2013 at 4:24 p.m.
Speaker Boehner says "“I don’t know whether it’s going to hurt the economy or not. I don’t think anyone quite understands how the sequester is really going to work.”
That's the spirit we need in government. Just let things happen and we'll eventually find out whether it was a train wreck or not.
BTW, Whippersnapper, we wouldn't find out what the problems are on Day One. Duh.
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inquire says... March 3, 2013 at 4:44 p.m.
Economists predict that it will slow the recovery and make the economy get worse. That isn't hard to figure out. People furloughed or on layoff spend less money and maybe pay their bills late. Then there is a domino effect. If Boehner doesn't understand that, he is The Peter Principle personified.
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RonalFos says... March 3, 2013 at 6:20 p.m.
With the economy as weak as it is the last thing we need now is reduced government spending. A weakened economy is likely to increase the deficit instead of make it smaller. Penny wise and pound foolish. Just what we need.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... March 3, 2013 at 6:34 p.m.
We can not afford our own government. So time is now, to trim the fat.
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... March 3, 2013 at 6:55 p.m.
Coralie you obviously missed the sarcasm in Whippersnappers post; I'm just not really sure how you could miss it. Please read it again
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Wisdom7832 says... March 3, 2013 at 7:48 p.m.
The cuts are very small, so the real question is whether this is where the cuts should take place. We have overspending in every federal program in my opinion.
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Jackabbott says... March 3, 2013 at 9:36 p.m.
It is a "dent in the fender" cut as a % of the federal budget. The sad thing is it should have been more selective and not across the board. The President should have been given the discretion and power to make the cuts. However, with his releasing of the illegals, he has now demonstrated he will use the power in a political manner rather than in economic way. Too bad. Good campaigner but terrible leader.
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inquire says... March 3, 2013 at 11:29 p.m.
The Republicans did make some sort of offer to give Obama discretion to make the cuts. It was a trap and he didn't accept it. Lindsey Graham was heard making the statement that if they could get him to make the cuts, they would publicly criticize every cut.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... March 4, 2013 at 5:06 a.m.
inquire ... In politics no matter if the choice is good or bad, one is going to be “criticized”, and everybody but you knows this.
~
Obama in his whole political career has never taken responsibility for anything.
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inquire says... March 4, 2013 at 7:28 a.m.
What I do know is that this is just a continuation of the Republican policy put in place before the president even took office, when McConnell and Cantor rounded up their troops and ordered them to oppose absolutely everything Obama tried to do, including things they had previously voted for when Bush was president.
Just keep bullying with that snide tone; it won't do you any good at all.
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NoUserName says... March 4, 2013 at 7:50 a.m.
Oh, I don't know. I seem to recall the Rs caving on Jan 1 to pass the tax increase under the promise of dealing with the cuts later. Seems to me the Ds are the responsible party this time around. Although, lets get real. BOTH parties wanted these cuts to happen.
.
Coralie says "That's the spirit we need in government. Just let things happen and we'll eventually find out whether it was a train wreck or not."
.
Hmm, I seem to recall a certain D saying more or less the same thing.
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XAV8OR says... March 4, 2013 at 7:52 a.m.
Quote of the Century:
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay it's own bills. It is a sign that we are now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
Senator Barack H. Obama - March 2006
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T6 says... March 4, 2013 at 8:38 a.m.
Anybody see any pictures of the Liar-in-Chief signing the order of sequester?
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rainbowharold55 says... March 4, 2013 at 9:49 a.m.
The cuts should include Congressional salaries. And executive. That'd get the problem fixed PDQ.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... March 4, 2013 at 9:56 a.m.
Read ... THE LIBERAL MANIFESTO: A Concise Introduction to the Unsustainable Ideology of Liberalism
By Frank S. Smith
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Packman says... March 4, 2013 at 10:29 a.m.
Hey XAV80R - Thanks for reminding us that the best way to know when BH Obama is lying is whenever his lips are moving.
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lazybar says... March 4, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.
wow a comment from harold i totally agree with.
rf,our problems are from the government.we are spending to much on entitlements and not collecting enough from companies sending jobs overseas.both only hurt the middle class.
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GAITOR says... March 4, 2013 at 11:19 a.m.
Coralie: Do you remeber "We have to pass it to find out what is in it."? I suppose you can't remember the then Speaker saying that about ObamaCare can you? Spending has to be cut and cut big, in order for this country to survive. Cutting always hurts someone, but in the long run it will pay off for future generations.
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TruthMachine says... March 4, 2013 at 11:36 a.m.
And the funniest thing about this whole overblown sequester is that there are no "cuts", only reductions in growth. Not the same thing.
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GAITOR says... March 4, 2013 at 11:36 a.m.
TruthMachine is so right.
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TruthMachine says... March 4, 2013 at 11:41 a.m.
Budgets are being slashed (:-), and yet, the Obama SS secret police continues to grow. To the reported 1.6 billion .40cal and 9mm bullets purchased over the last few months, the SS has now added 2,700 Mine Resistant Armor Protected vehicles (MRAPs) of the type used in Afghanistan. What are they preparing for?
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... March 4, 2013 at 11:54 a.m.
Gun confiscation would be the answer.
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BillSmith says... March 4, 2013 at 12:18 p.m.
Koolaid... you need to take your guns and move to Somalia, I think you would fit in just fine with the locals.
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TruthMachine says... March 4, 2013 at 3:22 p.m.
BillSmith... And you would make a GREAT press secretary for Obama. "Just ignore the facts and just believe what we tell you."
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... March 4, 2013 at 4:50 p.m.
ww w.youtube.c om/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-3BBKtSxgWk#at=147
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... March 4, 2013 at 4:59 p.m.
conservativevideos.c om/2013/03/snl-obama-admits-i-really-have-no-idea-how-money-works/
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XAV8OR says... March 4, 2013 at 7:44 p.m.
The President doesn't want a settlement. He cares nothing about the people. He only wants to demonize the Republican party and blame all this on them so the
democrats can regain control of the House next election and then he will have the power to do as he wishes.
I am a registered Democrat who finally has seen the errors of my ways.
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Coralie says... March 6, 2013 at 12:09 p.m.
Redwings, I didn't miss the sarcasm. Whatever made you think I did?
Gaitor, yes I remember that old chestnut about Pelosi--a quote taken out of context.
You guys repeat the same old bits over and over.
Get a new shtick.
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