Sen. Tom Coburn, John McCain would freeze federal salaries, sell government property to fund wars

[sabra]

Source: NewsOK

WASHINGTON — Sens. Tom Coburn and John McCain offered a menu of possible spending cuts Tuesday, including slashing the budgets of members of Congress and freezing federal workers’ pay, to offset a $60 billion war funding bill.

Coburn, R-Muskogee, said designating the bill as "emergency” spending — and adding $60 billion to the deficit — would dig the nation further into debt. He said lawmakers should look for cuts elsewhere in the budget.

"I’m not saying we shouldn’t fund the war,” Coburn said in a speech on the Senate floor. "What I am saying is that we ought to pay for it by making the hard choices that every family in this country right now is making.”

In the middle of Coburn’s speech, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, made a procedural move to cut off debate on the bill to speed its consideration. Coburn said Reid’s move showed lawmakers were more worried about leaving town for Memorial Day than dealing seriously with deficit spending.




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[LynneSin]

1. Well why didn't Bush do that?

You know, remember him - the guy that STARTED the war and kept asking for more money while he gave away our surplus to the wealthiest 2% of this nation.

[Heywood J]

4. Indeed.

They were so all about responsible spending and pay-as-you-go under Bush that we should listen to them now...

[LynneSin]

17. In fact, why didn't John McCain insist on that DURING the Bush administration?

He was a US Senator in the MAJORITY at one point and he could have insisted on this!

[karynnj]

8. You mean supporting the famous Biden and Kerry amendment

that would have paid for the $87 billion supplemental by rolling back the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy? (which Kerry famously voted for - before voting against the bill (as a protest) that did not pay for it) Bush said he would veto it.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. That's what hawks do. The hell with people, just keep those wars on at all costs.

[naaman fletcher]

3. It's better than not paying for it.

the point here is that stuff needs to be paid for. This will never happen, but what it should do is get people to starting thinking about the costs of wars.

[Dr.Phool]

5. Are Coburn and McCain government property?

Sell them.

[florida08]

6. LoL

good call

[freebrew]

13. Yes, here's a buck...

[Soylent Brice]

7. K&R

:puke:

[wilt the stilt]

9. It's big of them

to freeze middle class salaries while they are pretty well off.

[CanonRay]

10. Good idea Tom, lets sell Yellowstone!

What an asshole.

[freebrew]

14. Better yet..

let's sell Arizona to Mexico?

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

18. +1

[groundloop]

11. I've got a better idea - END THE FUCKING WAR

The sad fact is that we'd have been long finished in Afghanistan if Bush hadn't sent us on his little personal vendetta in Iraq.

[Unvanguard]

12. Introduce the War is Making You Poor Act in the Senate, Sen. Coburn.

If you like, weight it more toward deficit reduction.

[xxqqqzme]

15. Have we run out of natural resources to sell?

That was always the first thing offered. How about NO MORE OCCUPATION?

TROOPS HOME NOW!

[happygoluckytoyou]

16. maybe MCCAIN can cut back to 6 estates.....

[droidamus2]

19. We all know

The Republicans have no problem with deficit spending when they think the projects that it is spent on (military, subsidies to corporations, etc) have political benefit for them either through votes or the money being recycled into their campaign coffers. It is only when the projects are actually spent on projects to help large numbers of people, which they see as getting votes for the Democrats, that they are against it.

[kirby]

20. 'Hard choices that every family makes?'

Seriously, most families live way beyond their means, with maxed out credit cards and before the house bubble burst, were using their home equity as an ATM machine. Our country has one of the lowest savings rates. It really annoys me when politicians use this false comparison.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. Privatize the Senate parking garage.

.

[DCBob]

22. Great.. Sell Yellowstone to pay for bombs to kill more Iraqis...

who dont want us there.