Argument Over the Budget
I worked for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and responsible for analyzing the budget requests from all institutions of higher education in Colorado. I had to make sure that all budget requests would eventually come together to meet the Joint Budget Committee’s recommendations for that year. I understand how people have to work together to get their financial needs met.
The thing that we were always aware of was that everyone “padded” their request numbers. So, we then started cutting budgets until an agreeable amount could be reached. It’s almost like haggling but your only profit is to see that everyone is reasonably satisfied. I worked with Democrats and Republicans and never really had any issues. I’m afraid that is NOT the case with our country’s budget. |
For those of you who don’t know how the budget process works, let me briefly help you understand the process.
The annual budget covers three spending areas:
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The budget planning begins a year before the budget is to go into effect. The 2024 budget goes from October 2023 to September 2024. It progresses as follows:
- Federal agencies create budget requests and submit them to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
- OMB refers to the agencies’ requests as it develops the budget proposal for the president.
- The president submits the budget proposal to Congress early the next year.
- Proposed funding is divided among 12 subcommittees, which hold hearings. Each is responsible for funding for different government functions such as defense spending or energy and water.
- The House and Senate create their own budget resolutions, which must be negotiated and merged. Both houses must pass a single version of each funding bill.
- Congress sends the approved funding bills to the president to sign or veto.
The government has already fulfilled steps 1, 2, and 3. The House just approved their suggested budget this last week of April. The Senate, that is dominated by Democrats, will just follow Pres. Biden’s suggestion. So, now it is time to negotiate with each other to come to agreement on the budget. Since both proposed budgets total approximately $6.9 trillion, it will come down to how the money is spent.
House Republicans are calling for deep spending cuts as a condition for raising the federal borrowing limit. Mr. Biden says he won’t negotiate on the subject, calling for a “clean” debt ceiling increase without conditions. Since Pres. Biden refuses to talk with the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, as they were preparing the House budget, there obviously will be a real hurdle in getting a budget that reflects any Republican ideas. Biden has been steadfast that he will not negotiate with McCarthy on raising the debt limit, a position that House and Senate Democrats widely support. |
Not everyone in his party agrees with Biden’s no-negotiation stance. Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., praised McCarthy for putting forward a plan, even if he doesn’t agree with everything in it.
Some of the Republican issues that will be fought by Democrats:
Some of the Republican issues that will be fought by Democrats:
Discretionary caps
The centerpiece of the measure’s fiscal restraints would reset discretionary spending for the upcoming budget year to levels appropriated for fiscal 2022, and then impose caps for an additional nine years allowing for 1 percent annual growth.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that provision could cut deficits by $3 trillion over the next decade.
GOP appropriators vowed that defense spending would always be protected, regardless of the tight overall appropriations limits. House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger, R-Texas, herself a longtime defense hawk, has vowed not to cut Pentagon accounts in the spending bills she’s writing for fiscal 2024. Veterans and border security programs are also considered safe.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that provision could cut deficits by $3 trillion over the next decade.
GOP appropriators vowed that defense spending would always be protected, regardless of the tight overall appropriations limits. House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger, R-Texas, herself a longtime defense hawk, has vowed not to cut Pentagon accounts in the spending bills she’s writing for fiscal 2024. Veterans and border security programs are also considered safe.
Raise the debt limit
The plan would lift the debt limit by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first, reinstating the limit at whichever comes first.
Cap budget increases
The GOP bill limits increases in the federal budget to 1% per year, significantly slower than the rate of inflation and less than recent year-over-year budget increases, particularly since the pandemic. That isn't likely to fly with Democrats, as it necessarily means cuts to discretionary spending.
Impose work requirements for federal aid
The GOP bill imposes stricter work requirements to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding, formerly known as food stamps, for childless adults. The bill also requires each state to collect and submit information to the federal government about the percentage of people enrolled in SNAP who are in unsubsidized employment, as well as the median earning of people who were work-eligible after they exit the program.
Rescind IRS funding
The Republican plan would also nix $80 million in additional IRS funding, including funding for thousands more agents, that was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. Republicans passed a bill to eliminate those additional positions before, but the bill died in the Senate.
Recoup unspent pandemic relief funds
The Republican legislation recoups unspent federal COVID-19 relief funds approved in the American Rescue Plan and emergency relief packages passed in the final months of the Trump administration. While most of the money has been spent, Republicans — many of whom have long railed against the massive influx of federal spending — believe clawing back the remaining funds can help balance federal coffers.
"The American people are tired of politicians who use COVID as an excuse for more extreme inflationary spending," McCarthy said on the House floor Wednesday. "Now, if this money was authorized to fight the pandemic was not spent during the pandemic, it should not be spent after the pandemic is over."
"The American people are tired of politicians who use COVID as an excuse for more extreme inflationary spending," McCarthy said on the House floor Wednesday. "Now, if this money was authorized to fight the pandemic was not spent during the pandemic, it should not be spent after the pandemic is over."
Unwind Biden's student loan forgiveness program
Republicans' bill would nullify Mr. Biden's program forgiving student loan debt up to $20,000 per borrower. Under the plan, announced by the president last August, eligible borrowers can have up to $10,000 in student debt wiped clean, while qualifying Pell Grant recipients can have an additional $10,000 forgiven. The program has been on hold as legal challenges have made their way through the courts.
Repeal provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law by Pres. Biden last year and is Democrats' marquee health care, tax and climate bill. The $740 billion package passed with only Democratic support.
Republicans now want to rescind key aspects of the law that were designed to combat climate change, including provisions establishing a high-efficiency electric home rebate program and home energy efficiency contractor training grants.
Republicans now want to rescind key aspects of the law that were designed to combat climate change, including provisions establishing a high-efficiency electric home rebate program and home energy efficiency contractor training grants.
Implement Republicans' signature energy bill
Included in the debt limit package is H.R. 1, the "Lower Energy Costs Act." The legislation aims to boost American energy production and decrease dependency on foreign oil. The plan seeks to quicken the permitting process for energy and infrastructure projects and increase oil and gas production and sales.
It also includes a provision that prohibits the energy secretary from implementing any rules that would "directly or indirectly limit" consumer access to gas kitchen ranges and ovens.
It also includes a provision that prohibits the energy secretary from implementing any rules that would "directly or indirectly limit" consumer access to gas kitchen ranges and ovens.
Obviously, getting a budget approved is going to be difficult especially since Pres. Biden is unwilling to work with the Republicans. His “my way or the highway” attitude will be accompanied with “the MAGA Republicans want us to default” or “Republicans are ignorant.” He really isn’t for ending divisions and bringing us together. His rhetoric is always divisive and bitter. His vision is to spend, spend, spend; and his save the world mentality lacks any critical thinking about end results. His “god” plans will only result in more inflation, destruction of education, immorality, death and destruction of our country. Watch how he deals with the budget. It will tell you about his heart. |