Budget battle breakdown

An article written by Andrew Taylor for the Associated Press titled Obama threatens to veto GOP budget extension plan reports that “House Republicans advanced legislation Thursday to avoid a government shutdown for one more week, cut spending and fully fund the Pentagon, but the White House labeled the measure a distraction and said President Barack Obama would veto it.  Obama said in a statement he believes "we need to put politics aside and work out our differences" on a spending plan that covers the government through September, when the current budget year ends.”  What seemed to have been forgotten is also present in this article.  “Obama has already signed two stopgap bills, containing a total of $10 billion in cuts, to allow time for negotiations on a bill to close out the budget year.” 

Democrats say

·         $32 billion in cuts minus the stop funding the year-old health care overhaul, to deny Planned Parenthood all federal money and any of the EPA curbs. Adding the two other stop gap measures this would bring the total of cuts up to $42 billion.

Republicans say

·         Another $61 billion in cuts including the stopping funding the year-old health care overhaul, denying Planned Parenthood all federal money and any the curbing of the EPA.  Adding the two other stop gap measures that would bring the total of cuts up to $71 billion.

Notables

·         Congress attempted to get a full year budget but was blocked by Republicans because they wanted it to pass by 60 votes even though they knew that it would not get that.  So when they say that congress did nothing to pass a budget in the last congress, they are lying.

·         This appears to be more about keeping Obama to a one term than anything else which surprises me when you hear how much they love their country and defenders of the American people.  I often wonder are we all taking about the same America.

·         The Republicans fought hard to deny extension of unemployment benefits and keeping the tax cuts for the rich but now are willing to deny healthcare, women services and protecting the environment.

Bottom line it is time for those in power to learn who really has the power.  It is not your largest donor but the larger number of voters.  They were misled after the midterm thinking that the number they came in with was a mandate.  They would have never amassed those numbers if those who stayed home had gotten out and voted.