“I would rather keep all the levels (of spending) lower and stick to the sequester. But there are people in leadership who live outside of reality and want to increase things that Republicans like and pretend Democrats don’t exist.–Rep. Amash
On competing budget proposals, Rep. Amash, a fiscal conservative, wrote:
The House is poised to set a shocking precedent of more spending, more debt, and higher taxes this evening.
There are two main competing budgets on the House floor: one from the Budget Committee and one supported by the Armed Services Committee.
Compared to last year’s budget, the Budget Committee’s budget includes $20 billion in additional “emergency” military spending that’s off-budget. This extra military spending isn’t counted toward the spending caps set in the 2011 fiscal deal that has modestly reined in spending over the last four years. The Budget Committee’s budget says that the new “emergency” spending should be offset by cuts to other programs.
The Armed Services Committee’s budget raises “emergency” military spending by $22 billion, but unlike the Budget Committee’s budget, this budget eliminates the spending offsets. It doesn’t ask for any cuts to other programs. The Armed Services Committee’s budget lays the foundation for more spending from both parties, hundreds of billions of dollars of new debt, and tax hikes.
If the House passes the Armed Services Committee’s budget tonight, we’ll have set the dangerous precedent that violating the 2011 budget deal and sequester are acceptable, that more national debt is just fine. We’ll have joined with Pres. Obama in obliterating even the pretense of fiscal responsibility.
The votes on the Budget Committee’s budget (known as “Price #1″) and the Armed Services Committee’s budget (known as “Price #2″) will happen around 5 p.m. I will vote yes on Price #1 and no on Price #2.
How will your representative in Congress vote?
On Price #1, 105 Republicans voted AYE; 139 Republicans and 180 Democrats voted NO. Tom Reed voted NO.
On Price #2, 219 Republicans voted AYE; 26 Republicans and 182 Democrats voted NO. Tom Reed voted AYE.
One notes several things about Rep. Amash’s views:
- Debt, government spending, and taxes are presumed bad.
- He discusses only two Republican budget proposals
- He doesn’t question the need for additional military spending.
- Additional military spending is ok if offset by cuts to domestic programs.
- He doesn’t object to keeping “emergency” military spending off-budget.
I appreciate that Rep. Amash is willing to explain his views and votes. Rep. Reed had only this to say:
- You balance your budget and live within your means. Washington should do the same.
- The House GOP budget balances in less than 10 years without raising or creating taxes.
Comparing the Federal Government to a family is nonsense. That the budget ought to balance is unjustified. That the proposed budget would balance as predicted is questionable. Tom Reed and Justin Amash share some concerns, but Tom is far less willing to explain himself.
© William Hungerford – March 2015
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll140.xml
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll141.xml
