Top Senate Democrat lays out deficit curbs

[apnu]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Senate Democrat is proposing tough budget rules to make it harder to run up the U.S. government deficit with new tax cuts or expansions of federal benefit programs.

If approved, the plan by Majority Leader Harry Reid would have an almost immediate impact on Congress' free-spending ways by requiring spending cuts or revenue increases to pay for new spending.

In the near term, Reid's "pay-as-you-go" plan would make it difficult to pass an extension next month of emergency unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies for laid-off workers.

Under the pay-as-you-go concept, program cuts or revenue increases would be required to cover the cost of any new policies or programs. That means, for example, the tens of billions of dollars it would take to extend unemployment benefits beyond the six months regularly permitted would have to be "paid for" with tax hikes or cuts to other benefit programs.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-01-25-reid-deficit-plan_N.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

[n2doc]

1. And so it begins

Screw the least and hardest hit so Congress can feel good about itself. You know this ain't gonna apply to Defense....

[DJ13]

2. Worried about the deficit Harry?

Raise taxes on the wealthy back to the Reagan level.

Problem solved.

Why hurt the poor just to allow the rich to continue padding their bank accounts?

Wheres that "shared sacrifice" Obama campaigned on?

[apnu]

3. I love this idea, especially if they bill it as the Regan tax hike.

Have Obama trot out the tax hike on the wealthy and remind everybody, every time, that all we're doing is putting things back to the level of the Gipper and watch the GOP freak out commence. Get the popcorn!

[MuseRider]

4. I love it too

but it might make the Republicans angry and really, it would mean increasing their taxes. Unfortunately that seems to be the controlling factors these days, those and re-election of course.

Edit to add, I really do like this idea. It is perfect.

[atreides1]

5. No he's not, but it makes him look good to the voters in Nevada.

Why hurt the poor just to allow the rich to continue padding their bank accounts?

Because Harry and most of his fellow Senators are part of that group of rich citizens padding their bank accounts. Does the name Senator Feinstein ring a bell?


Wheres that Wheres that "shared sacrifice" Obama campaigned on? Obama campaigned on?

Did he actually specify who was supposed to take part in that "shared sacrifice"?

[DJ13]

6. It looks like Obama's shared sacrifice was the poor sacrifice

and the wealthy share the spoils.

[Jefferson23]

7. Do something about NAFTA and tax the fucking crap out of wealthy individuals already.

[AzDar]

8. Harry Reid Sucks.

:patriot:

[Edweird]

9. "expansions of federal benefit programs" Translation - we are doing our best to fight Single Payer.

Assholes.

[Florida Blue]

10. Looks like Harry is campaigning for reelection.

[high density]

11. So the Democrats are going to choke themselves

And then Repukes will come back in and repeat exactly what they did under Bush.

[apnu]

14. I hope you aren't surprised.

The one thing you can trust, in today's politics, is a Democratic Party that will shoot itself in the foot at the first opportunity. Just as you can trust the Republican party to get tossed out of power by their own rampant hypocrisy. (... and sexual deviancy... diapers, bathroom stalls, pages oh my!)

[dmosh42]

12. But it will be ok to keep the tax cuts for wealthy citizens! N/t

[kirby]

13. Lemme guess...Iraq/Afghanistan spending is exempt? n/t

[kirby]

17. I guessed correctly n/t

[Flaneur]

15. Start with the Pentagon and the CIA black budget.

[apnu]

16. Shit, do that and we can stop there!

And have enough cash left over to provide free lunches for all school kids... with ice cream for desert!