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Boehner Dismissively Rejects Obama Budget

Posted: April 5, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Sequester, Social Security, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: , , , |20 Comments

John Boehner

Politico:

House Speaker John Boehner immediately dismissed President Barack Obama’s package of significant new entitlement cuts tied to new tax revenues, calling them “no way to lead and move the country forward.”

The White House had portrayed the proposal, part of the budget it will release next week, as a compromise with Congressional Republicans that could have put them on track for another run at a grand bargain.

But Boehner said he will not consider new revenues as part of the deal, arguing that “modest” entitlement savings should not “be held hostage for more tax hikes.”

Politico notes that Obama has now opened himself up to attacks from both the left (such as it is) and the right. Right wing nuts hate the increased taxes on “tax-preferred retirement accounts for millionaires and billionaires”

Already, Obama’s budget proposal goes farther than many in his own party and base said they would bear by including “chained CPI,” the adjustment that would over time reduce cost-of-living increases to Social Security and other federal benefit programs — effectively, a cut to Social Security benefits by tying them to inflation….

And Obama is already facing a backlash from liberal Democrats as he has floated the chained CPI idea. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said Friday that any Social Security cuts are a no-go for him.

“While there are large portions of the president’s budget that I strongly support, I remain firmly opposed to the chained CPI,” Harkin said. “This policy is an unnecessary attack on Social Security, a program that by law is unable to add to the deficit.”

As I’ve repeatedly said, our only defense against Obama’s obsession with cutting social programs is the stupidity of the House Republicans.

20 Comments on “Boehner Dismissively Rejects Obama Budget”

  1. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:03 pm

    It’s on! Will Obama be able to negotiate with himself and then cave on revenue increases?

    Stay tuned….

  2. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:09 pm

    More from Politico

    “While this is not the president’s ideal deficit reduction plan, and there are particular proposals in this plan like the CPI change that were key Republican requests and not the president’s preferred approach, this is a compromise proposal built on common ground and the president felt it was important to make it clear that the offer still stands,” the senior administration official said.

    The official added: “This isn’t about political horsetrading; it’s about reducing the deficit in a balanced way that economists say is best for the economy and job creation.

    What economists?

  3. RalphB's avatar RalphB says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:28 pm

    Outside the Beltway: Federal Judge Voids FDA Rule Barring Minors From “Morning After” Pill

    A Federal District Court Judge in New York has issued an order overturning a rule promulgated by the Food And Drug Administration mandating that girls under 17 can only receive “Plan B” and other similar “Morning After” contraceptives via prescription and ordered the FDA to allow women of any age to receive such medication over the counter:

    Sorry for the OT comment but I think this is good news for a change.

  4. ecocatwoman's avatar ecocatwoman says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:41 pm

    bb, I love the photo you selected of Boehner. I would love a t-shirt with that & Who Do YOU Trust? written below.

  5. Fannie's avatar Fannie says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:41 pm

    Boehner said this isn’t about “horsetrading”…………Obama said he had a dead horse to trade, by the name of Rafalca Buckaroo, meanwhile we all gonna met up at Women’s Row Trading Post, down on the Hudson and kick some ass about these cuts that will stomp on women but good.

    And lord let us pray, giddy up Hillary.

  6. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    Here’s something interesting: Pope Francis calls for action on clerical sex abuse

    Pope Francis has called for “decisive action” in the fight against sex abuse of minors by priests.

    He told Bishop Gerhard Mueller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith – the Vatican watchdog that deals with sex abuse cases – to ensure that perpetrators were punished.

    It was the Argentine Pope’s first public statement on clerical sex abuse.

    A leading sex abuse survivors’ group has responded with scepticism, saying “actions speak louder than words”.

    At least it’s a start. We’ll see….

  7. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    TPM: Left Furious With Obama For Backing Social Security Cuts

    A trio of progressive advocacy groups issued scathing statements Friday in response to reports that Obama’s proposal will include a policy called “Chained CPI,” which would re-index Social Security cost of living increases to a lower rate of inflation — a benefit cut the president has included in deficit offers to Republicans since 2011.

    “President Obama’s plan to cut Social Security would harm seniors who worked hard all their lives,” said MoveOn.org’s executive director Anna Galland. “That’s unconscionable. It’s even more outrageous given that Republicans in Congress aren’t even asking for this Social Security cut. This time, the drive to cut Social Security is being led by President Obama and Democrats.”

    Stephanie Taylor of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee accused Obama of “proposing to steal thousands of dollars from grandparents and veterans” and threatened to subject any Democrat who votes for a Social Security benefit cut to a primary challenge.

    “You can’t call yourself a Democrat and support Social Security benefit cuts,” Taylor said in a statement. “The President has no mandate to cut these benefits, and progressives will do everything possible to stop him.”

    Jim Dean, the chair of Democracy For America, called the reports a “profoundly disturbing shot across the bow for the progressives who called their neighbors, spent weekends knocking doors and donated millions to reelect [President Obama].”

  8. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    April 5, 2013 at 7:02 pm

    Holy Hannah! Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana endorse marriage equality!

    Now if they’ll just endorse women’s right to control their bodies.

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