The following is a summary of the bill that so many are griping about. The summary is from a Progressive website called the People's View. Despite what Sen. Bernie Sanders is spouting IT DOES NOT TOUCH SS, MEDICARE OR MEDICAID. Quite the opposite, in fact. Also, the "sequester" is NOT the Super Congress we've heard about since ALL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO BE VOTED ON BY CONGRESS.
"1) The uncertainty over U.S. economy is no longer threatened by default.
2) 10-year discretionary spending caps (defense and non-defense) generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction
3) $350 Billion from the Base Defense Budget – the First Defense Cut Since the 1990s.
4) Protection in the discretionary budget to the Pell Grants investment that will award a maximum of $5,550, helping over 9 million students pay for college tuition.
5) Increase the debt limit by $2.1 trillion
6) No debt ceiling increase drama after the 2012 election.
7) Creates a bipartisan committee to identifying an additional $1.5 trillion (which is part of the $2.4 trillion package) in deficit reduction, including from entitlement and tax reform, where by Congress is to vote by December 23, 2011.
8) If the bipartisan committee fails, enforcement mechanism will trigger spending reduction in the amount of $1.2 Trillion in Deficit Reduction beginning in 2013 that will include a 50/50 cut between domestic and defense spending.
9) Enforcement mechanism protects Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries, and low-income programs from any cuts or these programs are off limit to any sequester.
About the sequester: If the the bipartisan committee fails:
Sequester Would Provide a Strong Incentive for Both Sides to Come to the Table: If the fiscal committee took no action, the deal would automatically add nearly $500 billion in defense cuts on top of cuts already made, and, at the same time, it would cut critical programs like infrastructure or education. That outcome would be unacceptable to many Republicans and Democrats alike – creating pressure for a bipartisan agreement without requiring the threat of a default with unthinkable consequences for our economy."
WTF is wrong with this bill? Oh yeah, NO INCREASE IN TAXES ON THE RICH! Kindly remember that the cuts will expire on the last day of 2012. IF we get off our asses, and quit listening to Ed Schultz (stay home in 2010 to teach him a lesson!) Firedoglake and Jane Hamscher, who is friends with Grover Norquist by the way, who told her people to stay home as well. IF we actually do something to put the Alan Grayson type Democrat back in Congress we will NEVER have to deal with tax cuts to the rich again.
Hello??? The Professional Progressive Bloggers put their websites ahead of what was good for the nation and then the Tea Party got elected. They whine, they screech, they point fingers and blame this all on the President, when they were the ones who saw to it the Democratic Party lost in 2010.
Full article can be read HERE!
Sherry,
ReplyDeleteThanks for rounding up this material. OK at first glance. I think we have to wait and see what is passed, hopefully it will be as you indicate.
The "leaders" who signed on to this bill are not just Boehner, and McConnell. Pelosi and Reid are onboard as well.
ReplyDeleteBoehners going to need the Dems to pass it and with McConnell on board it should go through the Senate if somebody would tell dear Bernie to STFU!
Sorry I went off on you on your blog. I'm tired of the Obama caved BS. Despite what people believed, President never had the upper hand. Too many Blue Dog Dems. He's always had a Conservative majority in Congress despite what many people think.
Sherry, I admire your impassioned defense of the President's situation, but I'm going to reserve judgment on this witch's brew of an agreement until more details emerge, and I've had chance to examine the turds in the soup.
ReplyDeleteSquatlo,
ReplyDeleteWiser minds than mine have weighed in on this claiming it "not a total loss".
Lets accept reality here. Not many Progressives are willing to give him credit for what he DID accomplish. They've focused on what didn't happen.
He warned people right from the get go that this was going to be a long fight. Apparently they only listened to the parts they wanted to hear.
I have a hot flash for folks. Replace Obama in 2012 and we're going to have Tax Cuts for the Rich back again, and a whole lot more we dislike as much as we do this compromise. He's not perfect, but he's the best hope we've got.
Of course, we could all stay away from the polls again and give the Oval Office back to the GOP.
Of course, the Republicans are hoping to make Obama a one-term President with a Republican successor and a Congress that will promote the extension of the Bush tax cuts.
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed in the President not championing Medicare for all; caving on extending the Bush tax cuts; and, in general, capitulating to easily to Republican (Tea Party) demands. If he had more spine in negotiations, was more defensive of democratic positions and less enamored with "bipartisan" cooperation - if he had been more vocal about Tea Party insanity we would haver never had to endure the circus of the last few weeks.
ReplyDeleteI will vote Obama again because the alternative is unthinkable.
By the way China just downgraded our credit standing and sent the Asian markets into decline.
the Ol'Buzzard
By the way: the bill does efect Medicaid and it makes cuts to the providers of Medicare. And, I like Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich - which makes me a far right progressive...actually, I'm a fucking old biker with a give a shit factor of about three
ReplyDeletethe Ol'Buzzard
Sherry. I agree with your summaries for the most part(s).
ReplyDeleteThe problem that I see is that the silly Teabags think they were the winners, and they did gain enough style points to claim victory to their fan base.
The only way to insure that this settlement is fair is to take back control of Congress and eliminate their influence on policy.
FUCK RICK PERRY!
Whit,
ReplyDeleteThe Republicans are getting help from the fringe elements of the Democratic Party. The far left wants him to do their bidding and they will not accept that he can't. He wasn't given enough support in Congress. And NO he didn't have it in the beginning either. He's a liberal at the head of the most broken conservative Congress we've seen in a long time. It might even be the first one of it's kind.
Buzzard,
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Bernie Sanders is that he is an Independent. Dennis Kucinich isn't the answer either. He's a knee jerk reactor not much better than the Tea Party in his grasp of reality.
I also believe that if people would accept responsibility for their own health instead of running off to have expensive tests for a hang nail, healthcare costs wouldn't be this high. WE are the drivers in that cockpit.
Mooner,
ReplyDeleteThe Tea Party didn't want any debt ceiling increase at all. They lost, which is affecting their fan base. The monthly Tea Party meeting locally was attended by 5 whole people and I was one of them. I go to find out what's going on so I can speak with some truth on the matter.
The way to take back our Congress is to get over ourselves and that instant gratification problem that drives much of society. Need to work things out using reason and dialogue. Not bullying.
Some people have turned away from them because they've begun to see where their policies will lead. We can thank what's happened in Wisconsin and Florida for that.