Are Some Dems Finally Ready For Spending Cuts in Continuing Resolution?

Rasmussen Reports

Today in Washington, D.C.  - Feb. 28, 2011:
Congress reconvened today.  Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) will then be recognized to read George Washington’s Farewell Address. At 3:30 PM, the Senate will begin consideration of S. 23, a patent reform bill and at 4:30, the Senate will take up the nominations of two district judges in Georgia. Votes on the nominations are expected around 5:30 PM.

After Democrats spent weeks insisting on the status quo of unsustainable levels of government spending, Roll Call reports today, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid signaled Friday that he was inclined to support a short-term CR proposed by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), although the Nevada Democrat attempted to couch his position as a Republican capitulation.”

And yet despite Reid’s claims about who caved, it appears some Democrats are finally agreeing with Republicans, at least on passing a continuing resolution for the next two weeks that begins to cut spending. According to Roll Call:

“Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad said Sunday that House Republicans’ two-week spending proposal is ‘acceptable’ while lawmakers negotiate a longer-term plan. ‘It is acceptable to me to have $4 billion in savings in a two-week package, sure,’ the North Dakota Democrat said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’” In another story, Roll Call reports, “Although Reid can block virtually anything sent to the chamber from the House at this point, Republicans argued they believe they are in a good position, noting that moderates such as Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) are reportedly open to cuts in the short-term CR.”

Indeed, Politico writes today,

“The budget scoreboard so far: Republicans 1, Democrats 0. Democrats threw in the towel Friday, just two days after delivering a chest-thumping rejection of the GOP plan to forestall a government shutdown for two weeks. In doing so, they handed Republicans a technical knockout in the first in a series of epic budget fights. Democrats agreed to $4 billion in cuts over the first two weeks in March, a concession that may give Republicans the upper hand for the time being as the two sides try to agree on the rest of the fiscal 2011 budget and the fiscal 2012 budget and to avoid a government default that would be more serious than a short-term shutdown.”

Of course this CR only covers the next two weeks and must be just the beginning of reining in out-of-control federal spending. A Reuters report today underscores the importance of getting under control the record debt and deficits Democrats have spent the country into. “The massive U.S. budget deficit is the gravest threat facing the economy, topping high unemployment and the risk of inflation or deflation, according to a survey of forecasters released on Monday. The National Association for Business Economics said its 47-member panel of forecasters increased its estimate for the 2011 federal deficit to $1.4 trillion from $1.1 trillion in its previous survey in November. ‘Panelists continue to characterize excessive federal indebtedness as their single greatest concern,’ with state and local government debt the second-biggest worry, the survey said.”

If these reports are true and some Democrats are finally agreeing with Republicans to cut spending, that’s good news. But it remains to be seen how much Democrat support the short-term CR will attract. And will Democrats then support a long term spending cut for this fiscal year?

Breihtbart reports:

House Speaker John Boehner in a speech to religious broadcasters on Sunday called it a "moral responsibility" to rein in the federal debt. Boehner said Republicans will work to prevent a shutdown of the federal government, but not without spending cuts. "We have a moral responsibility to address the problems we face. That means working together to cut spending and rein in government—not shutting it down." . . . "They label as 'pain' even our most modest efforts to restore a moral fiscal policy," Boehner said. "What will truly cause pain and suffering is the status quo—doing nothing—and leaving our debt on its unsustainable and immoral path." . . . Boehner said the shorter-term plan is a piecemeal approach to future cutting spending. "If they won't eat the whole loaf at one time, we'll make them eat it one slice at a time."

As Americans for Limited Government noted

Sen. Harry Reid is already claiming that the Senate has made more than $40 billion in cuts, simply by not using the budget that the President submitted last fiscal year. Of course, the only problem with this claim is that it is based upon a lie.

Last year, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi chose to not pass any budget, let alone the one the President suggested, so to claim that they have already cut $41 billion off a budget that was never even considered is worse than disingenuous. Of course, Reid got the idea from some on the Republican side of the aisle in the House, who actually attempted to convince a wary public that $35 billion in real budget cuts were actually $74 billion, eventually being sent back to the drawing board and producing a CR that cut $61 billion in actual spending, and even then claiming it was $100 billion in cuts.

Now, Harry Reid is trying the same smoke and mirrors game in the hopes of fooling the American public into believing that he is cutting the size and scope of government. Reid spokesman Jon Summers explained, “The $41 billion is off of President Obama’s 2011 budget. The GOP also factors this into their $100 billion, so clearly both sides consider this a cut.” The truth is that Harry Reid’s $41 billion in claimed cuts is in real terms — no change in government spending — or zero dollars in cuts.

Americans sent the message to Washington last November that business as usual was unacceptable, and it’s time to cut spending. Economic forecasters are warning that we must get the debt and deficit under control. Are Democrats finally ready to listen?

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Tags: US House, US Senate, Washington, D.C., CR, Continuing Resolution, spending cuts, democrats To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!