DeLay DeClares that there's nothing left to cut in the budget. (1 Viewer)

[shuamort]

Source:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an "ongoing victory," and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.
Mr. DeLay was defending Republicans' choice to borrow money and add to this year's expected $331 billion deficit to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief. Some Republicans have said Congress should make cuts in other areas, but Mr. DeLay said that doesn't seem possible.
"My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet," the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing.
Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty good."

:spin:
Really? You mean, when the US is at record of pork barrel spending that republicans have pared it all down? Even Senator McCain (R) doesn't agree with that 8 days ago:

If Congress wants to inspire the American people to continue to make sacrifices we need to be making sacrifices of our own. The costs of the recovery and relief effort will be enormous. Congress must do all that is necessary to fund essential relief and recovery efforts and help those in need. However, to the extent that it is possible, we should pay for this effort now rather than pass on even more debt to future generations.

Members of Congress should, at least temporarily, deny themselves a few of the comforts of political office and refrain from directing tax dollars to special projects in their states that might help their political campaigns but not necessarily the country as a whole. In the past year Congress has found a way to fund thousands of projects of questionable merit. Perhaps a few of those dollars could have been better spent on activities that might have limited the impact of this tragedy.

What's McCain talking about? Pork barrel spending, such as:

$286.4 BILLION, the highway bill just passed by Congress is the most expensive public works legislation in US history. In addition to funding the interstate highway system and other federal transportation programs, it sets a new record for pork-barrel spending

According to the Citizens Against Congressional Waste, there are 13,997 pork project in 2005 alone. And the year's note even over yet. Surely almost 14K of projects wouldn't be called paring it down to the bone.

 

[cnredd]

"My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet," the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing.

This sentence in the article jumps out at me...

This sounds like DeLay is speaking what everybody else is thinking due to their actions...or in this case, inactions...

By no means do I discount the audacity of the statement...

 

[gdalton]

Yep, this is all a bunch of BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congress can't find anything to cut :roll: this is why we need to get a lot of these folks out and some new blood in on bothe sides. There is more then enough crap to cut out of the budget to cover not only Katrina but a good part of the defecit. What can I say most of these guys only care about making their carreer and not about what is good for the country, but thats politics right. :doh

 

[wxcrazytwo]

Yep, this is all a bunch of BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congress can't find anything to cut :roll: this is why we need to get a lot of these folks out and some new blood in on bothe sides. There is more then enough crap to cut out of the budget to cover not only Katrina but a good part of the defecit. What can I say most of these guys only care about making their carreer and not about what is good for the country, but thats politics right. :doh

I agree. How about cutting some congressional payroll..:lol:

 

[gdalton]

I agree. How about cutting some congressional payroll..:lol:

Rock on:2wave:

 

[Iriemon]

Source:
:spin:
Really? You mean, when the US is at record of pork barrel spending that republicans have pared it all down? Even Senator McCain (R) doesn't agree with that 8 days ago:



What's McCain talking about? Pork barrel spending, such as:


According to the Citizens Against Congressional Waste, there are 13,997 pork project in 2005 alone. And the year's note even over yet. Surely almost 14K of projects wouldn't be called paring it down to the bone.

What an utter load of BS.

But if this is true, and they cannot possibly cut spending, we better raise taxes because the Govt was about $600 billion short of revenues, that is how much it borrowed and added to the almost $8 trillion debt we have.

 

[wxcrazytwo]

What an utter load of BS.

But if this is true, and they cannot possibly cut spending, we better raise taxes because the Govt was about $600 billion short of revenues, that is how much it borrowed and added to the almost $8 trillion debt we have.

$600 billion short, like I said cut congressional salaries, and we will have a surplus..

 

[Iriemon]

$600 billion short, like I said cut congressional salaries, and we will have a surplus..

Why stop at salaries? If we cut off the heads of the gutless wonders running our government, that would be a much better start.

 

[cnredd]

I agree. How about cutting some congressional payroll..:lol:

There is a little known law that states that a Congressperson CANNOT accept money for a speech...If that was the case, they would spend their time talking instead of doing their job...

That is their reasoning for increasing their own pay...That can't outsource themselves...much like someone who works for the IRS can't start a company to do other people's taxes...

Not saying it's right...Just pointing out their logic...

 

[Kandahar]

Tom DeLay is a disgraceful example of how power corrupts. What kind of so-called "conservative" could possibly claim that our socialist leviathan of a government is operating at peak efficiency? This audacious claim less than a month after it was reported that the government is spending HALF A BILLION DOLLARS on an Alaskan bridge to nowhere?

Our government is not operating anywhere close to peak efficiency. In fact, its inefficiency is absolutely shameful. If anything, we're at peak INEFFICIENCY compared to any other era in American history.

 

[Stherngntlmn]

First and Foremost... McCain's a blowhard... any should be taken with a grain of salt. I agree that the Highway bill should be scrapped and rewritten at half the budget. In fact I agree that EVERY Bill passed in the last year should be re-evaluated and made to cut at least 5%. I also think congressional payrolls should be rolled back to what they were at least 5 years ago.