The purpose of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution (BBA) is to limit the size and scope of the federal government. Some politicians seem to have forgotten that goal. According to USA Today there are 18 pending proposed amendments to the Constitution that purport to be balanced budget constitutional mandates. The House will be voting in two weeks on a “Joint resolution proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States” and they have yet to settle on specific language. “The overwhelming majority of the members …
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) blocked a vote on President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act tonight. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had pledged to offer an unchanged version of the President’s American Jobs Act as an amendment to the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Bill (S. 1619). Reid stopped a vote on the President’s so called jobs bill by filling the amendment tree. Last year I wrote about Reid’s obstructionism and argued that Reid’s strong arm tactics by constantly filling the amendment tree as a means to block out all amendments were against the spirit …
Politico reported what many have feared about the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction in a story titled “Supercommittee operating in secret.” Members of this committee are not disclosing details of negotiations on legislation to the press or the American public. The supercommittee has become supersecret about most of what it’s doing. On Tuesday, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) encapsulated the attitude of the members of the Joint Deficit Reduction Committee: “I don’t want to discuss what we discussed.” The Committee is tasked to find $1.2 trillion in savings over the …
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made a $900,000,000 mistake on a measure to fund the federal government past this Friday. The government runs out of money on September 30. The House and Senate are engaged in public negotiations on competing measures to fund the government to November 18. The Senate version of the CR contains two drafting errors that cut $900 million from FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers for the purposes of disaster relief. The Senate defeated the House Republican Continuing Resolution (CR) on Friday, because liberals …
Yesterday, I wrote about the House-passed bill H.R. 2887, which would reauthorize expiring aviation and surface transportation programs for a few months. Senator Tom Coburn (R–OK) is expected to offer an amendment to remove a mandate that forces states to waste 10 percent of all Federal Highway Administration money on something called Transportation Enhancements (TE). TE is a program run by the Department of Transportation to force states to build bike paths, “highway beautification,” and transportation museums. From my blog post: In the past, federal funds have been used by …
The House passed today H.R. 2887, a bill to reauthorize expiring aviation and surface transportation programs for a few months. Senator Tom Coburn (R–OK) is expected to hold up the bill in the Senate because of something called Transportation Enhancements (TE) included in the legislation. TE is a program run by the Department of Transportation to force states to build bike paths, “highway beautification,” and transportation museums. In the past, federal funds have been used by states to build animal highways for salamanders, frogs, and turtles. And liberals say there …
President Obama tonight pitched Stimulus 2.0 to a reluctant Congress and an angry electorate. The President rolled out his “American Jobs Act” and demanded repeatedly for Congress to “pass right away.” The President’s plan is very similar to his original Stimulus plan that has proven to be a total failure in allowing private enterprise to create jobs. It is difficult to see a scenario where Congress will pass another Obama stimulus plan. The President demanded support for this new stimulus plan without providing legislative language to the American people nor Congress. The …
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the “super committee”) met for the first time today. This bipartisan, bicameral committee was created in the law increasing the debt limit and is tasked to find between $1.2 and $1.5 trillion in savings over the next 10 years. Membership on the committee includes Senators Jon Kyl (R–AZ), Pat Toomey (R–PA), Rob Portman (R–OH), John Kerry (D–MA), Patty Murray (D–WA), and Max Baucus (D–MT) and Representatives Dave Camp (R–MI), Fred Upton (R–MI), Jeb Hensarling (R–TX), James Clyburn (D–SC), Chris Van …
Congress and the President have low approval ratings because Congress and the President continue to ignore the will of the American people. One reason for this disapproval is ObamaCare – the President’s signature health care “reform” law. According to Real Clear Politics (RCP), the average approval rating for the President is 43.0% approval and 53.2% disapproval. RCP has Congressional job approval at a dismal 12.3% approval and 84.0% disapproval. These numbers indicate anger and rage toward federally elected politicians. Lachlan Markay wrote on The Foundry yesterday that HHS Secretary Sebelius …
The President has publicly stated his intent to roll out a new expensive stimulus plan this fall. That plan is expected to contain hundreds of billions in new debt obligations to you, the taxpayer. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) has a better idea. He wrote a letter today to President Obama that identifies an effective means to stimulate growth. Reduce regulations that are a hidden tax on all Americans and killing private enterprise. Reducing the regulatory burden on the economy will spur economic growth. Speaker Boehner writes in …
