“No Man’s life liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session”.

- attributed to NY State Judge Gideon Tucker



Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Fiscal Hypocrisy

Today's Wall Street Journal neatly catalogued the Senators voting against Tom Coburn's amendments to cut spending on a bill raising the federal debt ceiling. Coburn's amendments were to have saved $20B by consolidating various programs across government agencies.

Hysterically Kent Conrad, D-ND, saw his deficit commission go down in flames, then personally turned and voted against the Coburn amendments.

In all, 57 Senators failed to support Coburn's spending cuts. The Journal article notes that the Senate also voted, 61-39, to spend unobligated funds, that is, money appropriated but not yet spent, rather than simply stop the spending.

Hardly promising votes, by either party, are they?

As I believe David Walker, former budget director, said recently, you can't expect commissions in Congress to stop spending. Voters are simply going to have to elect new Senators and Representatives who will finally cut spending.

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