A Time To Kill (Government Spending)
by Rick Manning: Appropriations time in Congress makes most people’s eyes roll to the back of their heads. But for those seeking to rein in President Obama, it is like Christmas time with the opportunity to target cuts directly at all parts of Obama’s agenda.
Unfortunately, Harry Reid plays the unreformed Grinch in Congress as he has stopped all Senate action on individual appropriations bills, virtually ensuring another Sept. 30, end-of-fiscal-year spending showdown.
Having seen this movie time and again during the past five years, it is tempting to change the channel and just disconnect from the whole process. But wait – there’s hope.
The sheer volume of defund amendments offered and passed in the House dramatically increases the odds that a number of Obama programs will get haircuts or even be stopped dead in their tracks.
It would be inaccurate to state that big ticket items like Obamacare will be changed much, but the battle over this spending will likely open the doors for other lower-profile spending cuts – like ending Obama’s Internet giveaway or stopping EPA sue-and-settle practices for the year – to possibly find their way into law after the political wrangling is done.
While it is impossible to predict at this stage which cuts will end up being signed by Obama, Robert Romano of Americans for Limited Government did an outstanding job of outlining 23 defunds that Congress should do just from the Financial Services budget.Summary of ALG recommended defunds:
1. Directing penalties from Bank of America’s $17 billion settlement to be deposited into the general fund.
2. Defunding Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Fund or the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund.
3. Defunding civil penalties to be directed to the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund.
4. GAO audit of any for-profit or non-profit entity that received payments from the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund.
5. Defunding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
6. Defunding 501(c)(4) political speech regulation.
7.Turn over IRS emails or no civil servants at the agency get a bonus.
8. Defunding implementation of the individual mandate under the health care law.
9. Defunding implementation of the employer mandate under the health care law.
10. Defunding the $100 billion credit line, the new arrangements to borrow, to the International Monetary Fund.
11. Defunding any more appropriations to GSEs for any purpose until the companies are unwound. Fannie and Freddie Mac were at the heart of the financial crisis, guaranteeing risky mortgages.
12. Defunding the 2010 Dodd-Frank orderly liquidation fund.
13. Defunding implementation of Net Neutrality.
14. Defunding the FCC’s national broadband plan.
15. Defunding additional broadband programs.
16. Defunding implementation of the Fairness Doctrine.
17. Defunding the IRS, FCC, SEC, and FEC from issuing political speech regulations.
18. Defunding FCC media snooping studies.
19. Defunding any potential Federal Reserve municipal bond bailout.
20. Directing GSA to dispose of real estate property the government isn’t using.
21. Defunding the White House’s National Ocean Council.
22. The Obama administration quietly killed an IRS tax preparation program designed to help low-income and disadvantaged citizens, choosing instead to give millions of dollars to liberal groups for the same purpose.” Congress could get those going again by directing funds appropriated to the Taxpayer Services account to provide low-income tax preparation services at Internal Revenue Service walk-in Tax Assistance Centers...
23. Defund IRS use of contractors in investigations. With this budget including the IRS and the FCC, as well as the Treasury Department, Congress could withhold all bonuses for IRS employees until all of the documents requested related to the targeting of Tea Party groups are given to Congress. Congress could defund the implementation of Obama’s new net neutrality regulations, and it could stop implementation of his new “Broadband Technologies Opportunity Plan,” which expands the Obamaphone concept to the Internet.
Limited government Members of Congress and leaders around the nation need to join Americans for Limited Government in embracing the opportunities presented by Harry Reid’s refusal to allow individual appropriations bills to go to the President and push for the inclusion of at least one hundred rifle shot defunds that will hamstring Obama’s fundamental transformation.
If only fifty of these end up in law, it will be fifty victories where sand has been thrown in the gears of Obama’s regulatory machine that threatens to choke America.
The question is no longer whether Obama’s transformation can occur; it is now how far will his transformation be allowed to proceed?
The appropriations, continuing resolution, and omnibus processes are the opportunity to put the brakes on many of these regulatory aggressions against limited government; and rather than cringe at the thought of another budget fight, I say, bring it on.
Let’s fight over what America should look like in the post-Obama era, because that is a fight that limited government supporters have a decent chance of winning.
---------------
Rick Manning (@rmanning957) is President of Americans for Limited Government. This article was also shared on NetRightDaily.
Tags: Rick Manning, Americans for Limited Government, Tim to Kill, Government Spending, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Unfortunately, Harry Reid plays the unreformed Grinch in Congress as he has stopped all Senate action on individual appropriations bills, virtually ensuring another Sept. 30, end-of-fiscal-year spending showdown.
Having seen this movie time and again during the past five years, it is tempting to change the channel and just disconnect from the whole process. But wait – there’s hope.
The sheer volume of defund amendments offered and passed in the House dramatically increases the odds that a number of Obama programs will get haircuts or even be stopped dead in their tracks.
It would be inaccurate to state that big ticket items like Obamacare will be changed much, but the battle over this spending will likely open the doors for other lower-profile spending cuts – like ending Obama’s Internet giveaway or stopping EPA sue-and-settle practices for the year – to possibly find their way into law after the political wrangling is done.
While it is impossible to predict at this stage which cuts will end up being signed by Obama, Robert Romano of Americans for Limited Government did an outstanding job of outlining 23 defunds that Congress should do just from the Financial Services budget.
1. Directing penalties from Bank of America’s $17 billion settlement to be deposited into the general fund.
2. Defunding Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Fund or the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund.
3. Defunding civil penalties to be directed to the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund.
4. GAO audit of any for-profit or non-profit entity that received payments from the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund.
5. Defunding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
6. Defunding 501(c)(4) political speech regulation.
7.Turn over IRS emails or no civil servants at the agency get a bonus.
8. Defunding implementation of the individual mandate under the health care law.
9. Defunding implementation of the employer mandate under the health care law.
10. Defunding the $100 billion credit line, the new arrangements to borrow, to the International Monetary Fund.
11. Defunding any more appropriations to GSEs for any purpose until the companies are unwound. Fannie and Freddie Mac were at the heart of the financial crisis, guaranteeing risky mortgages.
12. Defunding the 2010 Dodd-Frank orderly liquidation fund.
13. Defunding implementation of Net Neutrality.
14. Defunding the FCC’s national broadband plan.
15. Defunding additional broadband programs.
16. Defunding implementation of the Fairness Doctrine.
17. Defunding the IRS, FCC, SEC, and FEC from issuing political speech regulations.
18. Defunding FCC media snooping studies.
19. Defunding any potential Federal Reserve municipal bond bailout.
20. Directing GSA to dispose of real estate property the government isn’t using.
21. Defunding the White House’s National Ocean Council.
22. The Obama administration quietly killed an IRS tax preparation program designed to help low-income and disadvantaged citizens, choosing instead to give millions of dollars to liberal groups for the same purpose.” Congress could get those going again by directing funds appropriated to the Taxpayer Services account to provide low-income tax preparation services at Internal Revenue Service walk-in Tax Assistance Centers...
23. Defund IRS use of contractors in investigations.
Limited government Members of Congress and leaders around the nation need to join Americans for Limited Government in embracing the opportunities presented by Harry Reid’s refusal to allow individual appropriations bills to go to the President and push for the inclusion of at least one hundred rifle shot defunds that will hamstring Obama’s fundamental transformation.
If only fifty of these end up in law, it will be fifty victories where sand has been thrown in the gears of Obama’s regulatory machine that threatens to choke America.
The question is no longer whether Obama’s transformation can occur; it is now how far will his transformation be allowed to proceed?
The appropriations, continuing resolution, and omnibus processes are the opportunity to put the brakes on many of these regulatory aggressions against limited government; and rather than cringe at the thought of another budget fight, I say, bring it on.
Let’s fight over what America should look like in the post-Obama era, because that is a fight that limited government supporters have a decent chance of winning.
---------------
Rick Manning (@rmanning957) is President of Americans for Limited Government. This article was also shared on NetRightDaily.
Tags: Rick Manning, Americans for Limited Government, Tim to Kill, Government Spending, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
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