The GOP is throwin' down!

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House GOP Lists $2.5 Trillion in Spending Cuts
By Paul Bedard

Posted: January 20, 2011

Moving aggressively to make good on election promises to slash the federal budget, the House GOP today unveiled an eye-popping plan to eliminate $2.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years. Gone would be Amtrak subsidies, fat checks to the Legal Services Corporation and National Endowment for the Arts, and some $900 million to run President Obama's healthcare reform program. [See a gallery of political caricatures.]

What's more, the "Spending Reduction Act of 2011" proposed by members of the conservative Republican Study Committee, chaired by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, would reduce current spending for non-defense, non-homeland security and non-veterans programs to 2008 levels, eliminate federal control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, cut the federal workforce by 15 percent through attrition, and cut some $80 billion by blocking implementation of Obamacare. [See a slide show of the top Congressional travel destinations.]

Some of the proposed reductions will surely draw Democratic attack, such as cutting the Ready to Learn TV Program, repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act, the elimination of the Energy Star Program, and cutting subsidies to the Woodrow Wilson Center. [See editorial cartoons about the GOP.]

Here is the overview provided by the Republican Study Committee:

FY 2011 CR Amendment: Replace the spending levels in the FY 2011 continuing resolution (CR) with non-defense, non-homeland security, non-veterans spending at FY 2008 levels. The legislation will further prohibit any FY 2011 funding from being used to carry out any provision of the Democrat government takeover of health care, or to defend the health care law against any lawsuit challenging any provision of the act. $80 billion savings.

Discretionary Spending Limit, FY 2012-2021: Eliminate automatic increases for inflation from CBO baseline projections for future discretionary appropriations. Further, impose discretionary spending limits through 2021 at 2006 levels on the non-defense portion of the discretionary budget. $2.29 trillion savings over ten years.

Federal Workforce Reforms: Eliminate automatic pay increases for civilian federal workers for five years. Additionally, cut the civilian workforce by a total of 15 percent through attrition. Allow the hiring of only one new worker for every two workers who leave federal employment until the reduction target has been met. (Savings included in above discretionary savings figure).

"Stimulus" Repeal: Eliminate all remaining "stimulus" funding. $45 billion total savings.

Eliminate federal control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. $30 billion total savings.

Repeal the Medicaid FMAP increase in the "State Bailout" (Senate amendments to S. 1586). $16.1 billion total savings.

More than 100 specific program eliminations and spending reductions listed below: $330 billion savings over ten years (included in above discretionary savings figure).

Here is the full list of cuts:

Additional Program Eliminations/Spending Reforms

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy. $445 million annual savings.

Save America's Treasures Program. $25 million annual savings.

International Fund for Ireland. $17 million annual savings.

Legal Services Corporation. $420 million annual savings.

National Endowment for the Arts. $167.5 million annual savings.

National Endowment for the Humanities. $167.5 million annual savings.

Hope VI Program. $250 million annual savings.

Amtrak Subsidies. $1.565 billion annual savings.

Eliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.

U.S. Trade Development Agency. $55 million annual savings.

Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy. $20 million annual savings.

Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding. $47 million annual savings.

John C. Stennis Center Subsidy. $430,000 annual savings.

Community Development Fund. $4.5 billion annual savings.

Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid. $24 million annual savings.

Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half. $7.5 billion annual savings.

Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%. $600 million annual savings.

Essential Air Service. $150 million annual savings.

Technology Innovation Program. $70 million annual savings.

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. $125 million annual savings.

Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization. $530 million annual savings.

Beach Replenishment. $95 million annual savings.

New Starts Transit. $2 billion annual savings.

Exchange Programs for Alaska, Natives Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts. $9 million annual savings.

Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants. $2.5 billion annual savings.

Title X Family Planning. $318 million annual savings.

Appalachian Regional Commission. $76 million annual savings.

Economic Development Administration. $293 million annual savings.

Programs under the National and Community Services Act. $1.15 billion annual savings.

Applied Research at Department of Energy. $1.27 billion annual savings.

FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. $200 million annual savings.

Energy Star Program. $52 million annual savings.

Economic Assistance to Egypt. $250 million annually.

U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.39 billion annual savings.

General Assistance to District of Columbia. $210 million annual savings.

Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. $150 million annual savings.

Presidential Campaign Fund. $775 million savings over ten years.

No funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.

End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.

Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually.

IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget. $1.8 billion savings over ten years.

Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees. $1 billion total savings.

Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees. $1.2 billion savings over ten years.

Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion total savings.

Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.

Eliminate Mohair Subsidies. $1 million annual savings.

Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. $12.5 million annual savings.

Eliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings.

USDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.

Subsidy to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). $93 million annual savings.

Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $56.2 million annual savings.

Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs. $900 million savings.

Ready to Learn TV Program. $27 million savings.

HUD Ph.D. Program.

Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.

TOTAL SAVINGS: $2.5 Trillion over Ten Years

 

It must be some program where the Housing and Urban Development office subsidies PhD programs for people that either are working there or make a commitment to work there after graduation...just a guess.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

Dude, so much fat to trim off the budget it is insane. We could right the shot rather easily. These cuts are pretty simple also. Imagine if we really got into the budget how much money this Country wastes. That's money that could go back to the people who earn it, for them to spend, deleverage, etc. Rebounding economy here we come!

 

Agree about Cristie (more or less) and Ron Paul. Hopefully Rand doesn't suck a fat one.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

The thing is, we don't "need" to balance the budget. What we need is for GDP growth to outpace our debt growth. Cutting $2.5 trillion is definitely a good place to start, although I still think our annual deficits will increase the overall debt load by more than GDP growth (our deficits are way higher than $3-500 billion that we could expect GDP to grow annually).

Array
 

Nobama, I think they didn't touch the big boys because of the political ramifications. This stuff can get passed and would give the republicans something to tell the balanced budget people. I think you will see the debit ceiling as the tool used to bring the Dems in line with these cuts. Not perfect, but a very good sart

 

Weeeeelllll, obviously we have a tea party in the house...They climbin in yo congress, snatchin yo liberals up, tryna rape em, so y'all need to hide yo cash, hide yo programz, and hide yo spending, cause they rapin’ budgets out hurr.

 

I think, out of this list, the elimination of NPR (Corporate Broadcasting) is going to ruffle the most liberal feathers.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
Best Response

This list mostly cuts political compromises that can't really be cut in the long term. You guys really think Economic Assistance to Egypt isn't there for a reason?

FinancePun's Suggested List: -Raise the retirement age on SS to 72. -Terminate End of Life support from Medicare/Medicaid and allow euthanasia. -Raise the federal employment retirement age to 60. -Eliminate a large percent of the US Army. Large standing armies tend to be more for controlling your own population or for beating down your neighbors. Our naval, air and WMD power allows us to project the force we really need and we don't really have unruly neighbors for the moment. -Reinstate the draft and open Selective Service to women in case of crisis. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND! -Eliminate deductions and lower tax rates. -Keep Obamacare, it seems to save money, counterintuitively. (Actually not, expecting a free market outcome to be preferable in healthcare, a system where both demand and supply are heavily subsidized and regulated by the basic tenets of morality, is ludicrous at best) -Force Private Equity and Hedge Fund partners to pay taxes on income instead of carried interest. Totally not a big item, but Jesus Christ it's a load of bullshit. -End public subsidization of the prime housing market. Imbalances in the housing markets have crushed the US economy twice in the last 30 years. The government seems to do more harm than good here promulgating the American Dream of universal homeownership (for white people).

Also note the OP's lists are things mostly needed/wanted/enjoyed/foisted on by urban and coastal states (the blue ones that actually make the damn money) and ignore the net inflows of federal capital to red states. So don't worry, pork barrel spending, like M&A activity should pick up soon!

Some of these ideas are certainly of higher quality than others.

An easier solution would be to raise taxes. Too bad the American consumer can't take too many more hits.

"Dude, not trying to be a dick here, but your shop looks like a frontrunner for the cover of Better Boilerrooms & Chophouses or Bucketshop Quarterly." -Uncle Eddie
 

Didn't even notice that, and yea it would. Let's be honest, though, is NPR really necessary?

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

We know as a matter of FACT that Obamacare WON'T save the federal government money. The Medicare actuaries already gave their non-biased estimation that it will add an additional $250 billion or so to the federal deficit. We know as a matter of FACT that the CBO has to operate under flawed assumptions, such as the FACT that Obamacare math includes 10 years of taxes and 6 years of benefits and the FACT that Congress has passed a "Medicare fix" that negate's Obamacare's cuts to Medicare doctor reimbursements. You are living in an absolute fantasy world if you believe Obamacare will save money.

Array
 
Virginia Tech 4ever:
We know as a matter of FACT that Obamacare WON'T save the federal government money. The Medicare actuaries already gave their non-biased estimation that it will add an additional $250 billion or so to the federal deficit. We know as a matter of FACT that the CBO has to operate under flawed assumptions, such as the FACT that Obamacare math includes 10 years of taxes and 6 years of benefits and the FACT that Congress has passed a "Medicare fix" that negate's Obamacare's cuts to Medicare doctor reimbursements. You are living in an absolute fantasy world if you believe Obamacare will save money.

The Dems I talk to on the daily just don't give a hoot. They went from defending it as "making healthcare cheaper and more affordable" to "it doesn't matter that it's more expensive because now everybody gets healthcare and you're a bastard for not believing it's worth it".

I think universal health care would be a great idea... if it worked.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

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