Republicans kill the Veterans Jobs bill, good enough to die for them but not good enough to help.

                  To put it blatantly, the Republicans screwed our veterans again. Last one was a few months ago when the Republican Sequester killed the Military Tuition Assistance Program. This time is even worse and a serious thumb in the eye of our veterans. This time they stopped the Veterans Jobs Bill by forcing a budget point of order vote. Senate Majority WHIP Dick Durbin (R-Il) requested a motion to waive the budget point of order. The budget point of order was raised by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Al). Democrats need 60 votes, but only got 58.

Sessions said in a floor speech Wensday “This violates the Budget Control Act, there is no dispute about it. The Bill will not even go through the House and it violates the Constitution because it says revenue bills must be started in the House and this is a revenue bill.” Why does the House insist the Senate and President Obama present budgets when that is obviously unConstitutional. According to Senator Sessions the House is violating the Constitution willingly in doing so.

The Veterans Job Corp Act would have created new job training programs to help veterans find work in targeted fields. Fields such as natural park conservation, historic preservation projects, police work and firefighting, among others. Senator Scott Brown, Dean Heller, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe were the only Republicans who voted for the waiver, in a 58-40 vote.

The $1billion bill would have paid for itself over the next decade. Republican Senators say the bill allows for more spending at the Veterans Administration than what was agreed to in the Budget Control Act. This is thec reason they raised the point of order vote. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Ok) said these types of bills are part of the problem of the growing National Debt.

S.3457 was returned to the calender, leaving H.J. Res. 117, the 6 month spending resolution passed by the House last week, as the only business left in the Senate before the Election recess.

Senator Patty Murray (D-Wa) said “This point of order puts a price on what we are willing to provide our veterans and it says not a penny more. It’s a point of order that not only kill our ability to pass the bill, but that could also affect nearly every other effort we make to improve the lives of veterans moving forward.” She also said ” At every turn, we have sought compromise. But instead of meeting us halfway, we have been met with resistance. Instead of saying yes to the nearly 1 million unemployed veterans, it seems the other side have spent the last week and a half seeking out any way to say no.”

This a disgusting act on Republicans part. They practice a form of selective austerity. Tax cuts are another form of spending because they cut revenue. Republicans, Tea Party and conservatives are unwilling to raise taxes on the wealthy or close Corporate Tax Loopholes, tax havens and other forms of tax avoidance that cost us hundreds of billions of dollars a year, but will kill a $1 billion dollar bill for veterans that will pay for itself in 10 years. Lobbyist obviously have Republicans in their pocket. Our soldiers are good enough to die to make these greedy pigs rich but are not good enough to help. Shame on you Republicans, you are despicable.

                 

Do we really have a spending problem?

                  Republicans have been insisting that U.S. has a major spending problem. They have been saying that through the whole economic recovery, in fact their obstructionist tactics have even been said to slow down the recovery. House Republicans offer a budget that contains Draconian levels of spending cuts to domestic spending, some Republicans including Rand Paul asked for larger spending cuts.

                According to the CBO, excluding wars and disaster relief funding, Americas discretionary spending has grown at a slower rate than inflation since 2097 and now makes up a smaller share of the economy that it did before the Great Recession. CBO Director Dough Elmenforf wrote; Excluding appropriations for those purposes, discretionary budget authority rose from $892 billion in 2007 to $987 billion in 2013, an increase of about 11%. During that period,  prices (as measured by the CPI for urban consumers) rose by 13%, a nominal GDP increased by 16%. As a result, discretionary appropriations, based on the House passed appropriations for 2013 and excluding funds for overseas contingency operations and hurricane relief- declined by 2.2% in real (inflation adjusted) terms between 2007-2013 and dropped from 6.4% of GDP to 6.2% of GDP over that period.

               Spending levels have plateaued in recent years as Washington has focused on spending and debt reduction. That as I  said earlier has hampered our recovery from the recession. Government spending has typically driven recoveries in the past, this time spending cuts have, of course, hamstrung  our recovery. Further spending cuts to programs that help Americans stay on their feet would only exacerbate the problem. With low borrowing costs and high unemployment, the U.S. has a chance to make investments to help boost growth, therefore creating more jobs. Instead Republicans are focused on spending and a manufacturer debt crisis.

              Despite the hand wringing from conservatives and media types about the federal debts and defecits, any research will make it clear that Americas problem isn’t that the government is spending too much. Rather, it is the government isn’t spending enough. Investments into infrastructure, education, teachers, public workers and other programs could boost the economy. Instead by cutting spending Washington turned its full attention to spending cuts and the results had been dire. Republicans clamor for austerity,  even if it is predictable to anyone who has read about the plight of the European economy over the last few years, where austerity is king.

              The only way to truly balance the budget is to have a balanced plan with spending cuts and increased revenue I.e taxes. Democrats and Patty Murray offered such a plan which was meant with conservative disdain. Our current course may not very as bad as Republicans say.

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What I have learned from blogging.

               The research I have done for my blog so far has suprised me, enraged me, saddenned me, in some instances enriched me and certainly strengthened my core values. I am an even prouder and stronger supporter of liberal ideas than before. I was and still am a proud Obama supporter and I hope Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016.

               I have listened to conservatives and Republicans spout off about how they are the protectors of the Constitution. That they are our true fiscal watchdogs and they care about core American values. They are truly the mist guilty when it comes to violating the Constitution. They violate the 1st Amendment regularly but yet protect the 2nd Amendment like a rabid dog. They protect the wealthy at the expense of every other American. They in my opinion are even guilty of treason with their complete dissent with the President to make him a 1 term president. Well GOP you failed.

              I have also been disappointed in the Democrats. They in many cases lack a backbone and let the Tea Party off the hook with their craziness. I think Harry Reid should have stood stronger on the Filibuster Reform instead of worrying about keeping his seat. I think Elizabeth Warren and Patty Murray have exceptional careers ahead of them. I believe they will work for us and continue to lower our National Debt responsibly.

              I am genuinely glad I started doing this. I realize that I am biased towards the liberal point of view, but if they are wrong they are wrong. I encourage open debate and will engage in it through conversation. I want to thank anyone who has read, liked, commented on or even hated my posts. I will continue to write and improve.

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Senate Democrats budget, Patty Murray took the safe route.

            Senat Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray advanced the first Senate budget in 4 years, over 1,400 days. Murrays budget calls for $975 billion in new tax increases over the next decade. The budget also contains some techniques that can make those tax increases even higher. It creates special funds to offset new spending and replaces the sequestration cuts. Minority budget staff estimates the Murray budget could raise taxes by over $1.5 trillion. Which will definitely help towards balancing budget and lowering our debt. She will also attempt to stabalize the debt to GDP ratio.

          The plan calls for $1.85 trillion in defecit cuts over the next decade. It calls for $975 billion in spending cuts split among health care programs, defense and other domestic programs. Her budget protects Social Security, with little to no changes. Another $975 billion will be raised by an overhaul of the tax code. It will eliminate certain deductions that are typically used by ths wealthy and large corporations. It will also eliminate many of the tax loopholes that cost us hundreds of billions of dollars a year, the ones Republicans want to protect. Tax rates will stay the same on lower and middle classes. The plan also calls for $100 billion of new spending on infrastructure and job creation.

            Murrays plan taxes the wealthy to preserve programs for tge poor and middle class. This is how President Obama and the Democrats won the last election. It is a budget that focuses on the next 10 years. She does not get overzealous attempting to cut the defecit in 10 years. She does it in an intellegent and gradual manner. It will not pass because Republicans refuse any more revenue. This budget harms does more for people than the Paul Ryan hokey pokey.

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Paul Ryans budget, more of the same.

              The Republican budget proposal for fiscal year 2014 purports to balance the budget  in 10 years. With a stronger economy and new revenues from the fiscal cliff deal, the task of balancing the budget is somewhat easier. This budget is eerily similar to other budgets proposed by Paul Ryan. It of course attacks the poor and seniors, while giving more to the wealthy and corporations.

              In February the CBO released a baseline projection for the next decade. The fiscal cliff agreement allowed tax rates on the highest incomes to revert to Clinton era levels. In the process this helped reduced future deficits. Paul Ryan voted against that deal.

              The new budget proposal hits all GOP talking points, less spending, lower taxes and a rejection if most of President Obamas health reforms (ACA). Balancing the budget, Ryans proposal doesnt detail all of the assumptions about economic growth or when some of his proposals go into effect. Ryans plan leaves the countrys accrued debt at just under 55% of GDP by the end of the decade. The CBO estimates it as 77%. The CBO wont analyze Ryans or Patty Murrays budget proposals since each simply propose actions and does not detail legislative changed for hitting those targets. Ryan estimates his proposal will grow spending at 3.4% per year, not the projected 5% His plan would put spending at $985 billion below CBO estimates by 2023.

               He wants to reform Medicare. Starting after 2024 it would become a,premium support system. Future seniors could choose between traditional fee-for-service Medicare and the premium support system. This would offer seniors a fixed amount of money to buy private insurance. Ryan proposes converting federal Medicaid funding for states into block grants and repeals health reform laws expansion of the program to low income , non elderly adults. Block grants could increase the burden on states, but gives the states more autonomy about how to set up Medicaid programs. Ryan would also convert food stamps to block grants to states and change eligibilty by imposing time limits on participation and work requirements.

           Ryan would raise the sane amount of tax revenue as the CBO, it would total $40.241 trillion. Ryan would simplify the tax code , reducing the individual income tax brackets to 2 ( 10% & 25%), repeal the Alternate minimum tax, lower the top corporate tax rate to 25% and change roles for international taxation. The 25% upoer tax bracket is about 13% less than they are paying now. This equals to another tax cut for the wealthy.

                   Like Ryans other budget it relies on spurrious budget trickery. His past budgets have also included lofty rhetoric on spending cuts, but little details. He assumes the repeal of Obamacare, but uses the savings from it to balance the budget. This typical Republucan tomfoolery, there us nothing serious about this proposal, they know it cant pass. They set tge numbers so far right that even meeting them in the middle gives the party that lost the ekection the power. The Democrats, mainstream media and the Democrat party have to stop this crazy train in its tracks.

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The budgets presented this week will be nonsense.

                   Both political parties, Democrat and Republican, are going to present budget proposals that are D.O.A. What is the point of proposing something that offers no compromise? The Democrats have yet to present theirs, so I am jumping the gun a bit. I dont understand why our two party system cannot compromise. It is ridiculus already.

               Paul Ryan presented his budget today, which is basically a carbon copy of his last budget. He gives the wealthiest Americans another tax break, lowering it from 37% to 25%, puts corporate taxes at 35% and of course attacks entitlements. He says he is looking for a balanced proposal, but please remeber we have gotten $2.50 in spending cuts compared to $1.00 in higher taxes under President Obama. Ryans budget ,which I will write a more involved post on later, works under assumption that the ACA is repealed. Yet he uses the savings from the repealed ACA to pay down budget.

                  Looking into my crystal budget ball I will make a few assumptions about the Democrats budget proposal. Of course they are going to call for more revenue from closing tax loopholes. Probably raise the corporate tax rates and try to reform entire tax code in order to close overseas tax loopholes. I do not think they are going to offer any more cuts to “entitlement” programs. I am not sure if this is right but income inequality is at one of the highest levels in our history.

              All the same good points and bad points aside, there seems as if there is no chance of either bill passing.  Now please remember these are proposals, so their is not any information on what legislations would be changed. I support President Obama, but if he keeps giving in to cuts to programs that help people he will be deemed a failure. On the other hand why do Paul Ryan and the Republican party insist on creating manufactured issues.

             These are the reason people distrust Congress, Republican party and voted overwhelmingly Democrat. Republicans continue to get boxed in by the Tea Party. Just the other day Ted Cruz (R-Tx) and Mike Lee (R-Ut) said they would hold up vote to stop government shutdown unless the ACA was repealed. Again the extremist in Congress are trying to hold Americans hostage. But keep putting out unpassable budgets.

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