Boehner: House Republicans Will Move to Shut Off Earmarks in Democrat Spending BillPosted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 31st, 2007
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced this morning that House Republicans will move to shut off funding for nearly $500 million in hidden earmarks stuffed into the Democrat “CROMNIBUS” spending bill. Under the Republican proposal, this money would instead be used to support America’s military and enforce anti-drug laws. Yesterday it was revealed that a number of ongoing earmarks will continue to receive funding in Democrats’ massive $463.5 billion spending measure, despite claims by Democrat leaders to have stripped the bill of earmarks. The Republican Motion to Recommit will help Democrat leaders live up to their promise by shutting off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for earmarks Democrats saw fit to protect. Specifically, it will support military housing for our men and women in uniform and restore cuts in anti-drug enforcement to address the scourge of methamphetamine abuse and reduce drug-related crime and violence.
READ MORE:
Key Democrat on ‘Cromnibus’: “We Probably Have Made Some Wrong Choices”Posted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 31st, 2007
Yesterday it was revealed that the Democrats broke their pledge to shut down earmarks in their massive $463.5 billion spending measure. In fact, their bill includes hundreds of millions of dollars for hidden earmarks – earmarks such as the $44.6 million for a Tropical Rain Forest in Iowa, and $266 million in previously cancelled earmarks going to the Department of Energy (DOE). In today’s Washington Post the new chairman of the Appropriations Committee – the House Democrats’ point-man on spending – acknowledged reality: “I don’t love this proposal and we probably have made some wrong choices.” Why was it necessary to keep this $463.5 billion spending measure hidden from public scrutiny until the last possible moment? With hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks that continue to receive funding under the bill, we now have our answer. READ MORE:
Democrats on Iraq: Substantive Plans or Political “Timidity”?Posted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 31st, 2007
Nearly everyone acknowledges that the congressional “resolutions of disapproval” – non-binding criticisms of the President and his new strategy for success in Iraq – are nothing more than political statements. Now more and more Democrats are acknowledging it themselves. Roger Simon described the state of play in a Politico column earlier this week:
It goes on to describe Senator Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) challenging the “timidity” of his own party: “If you are really against this war, [Feingold] is going to tell them, now is the time to show it.” The Wisconsin Democrat plans to introduce legislation cutting off funding for the Iraq war. Presidential candidate John Edwards also dismisses non-binding resolutions opposing the President’s strategy as “useless,” telling Politico it is “Exactly like a child standing in the corner and stomping his feet.” House Democratic leaders have promised to consider a similar “useless” resolution of disapproval in the coming weeks. What is the point of these resolutions of disapproval exactly? Consider this exchange from the New York Times last week which describes Democrats’ futile attempt to claim their motivation for pushing resolutions of disapproval is to encourage the Iraqi government to step up and take on more responsibility:
Victory in Iraq is critical to America’s strategic interests. House Republicans have outlined a proposal which is explicitly designed to support our troops and help the President’s new strategy succeed in Iraq. What is missing in this debate is a plan for success in Iraq from the Democrats. What exactly is the Democrats’ plan for success in Iraq? House Democrats’ Giant Spending Bill Includes Hidden Earmarks | $463.5 Billion “CROMNIBUS” Includes Hundreds of Millions in Earmarks, Despite Promises to the ContraryPosted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 30th, 2007
Yesterday House Republicans asked what is buried in the Democrats’ massive spending bill that caused them to keep it hidden from public scrutiny until the last possible moment. Now we know the answer: contrary to Democratic leaders’ claims, the bill contains hidden earmarks that Democrats apparently hoped to ram through the House without debate. In December, key Democrats pledged to put a moratorium on earmarks for the rest of this year’s budget process, specifically stating: “There will be no congressional earmarks in the joint funding resolution that we will pass.” Yet, with no input from rank-and-file Republicans or Democrats, this massive $463.5 billion Democrat measure allows plenty of on-going earmarks funded in previous years to continue to receive funding. Among those earmarks overlooked by the Democrats:
As former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill (D-MA) used to say, “Haste makes waste in the legislative process.” Indeed, Members of Congress deserve to know exactly how much pork, waste, and imprudent spending is in this bill before it is brought up tomorrow. Boehner: “Defeat in Iraq is Unacceptable” | House Republicans Offer Two-Part Strategy to Help the President’s New Strategy SucceedPosted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 30th, 2007
At a press conference this morning, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed supporting General Petraeus as he implements the President’s new strategy for success in Iraq, Democrats’ criticism of the President’s new strategy, and House Republicans’ two-part strategy to help the President’s new strategy succeed. ON SUPPORTING GENERAL PETRAEUS BOEHNER: “General Petraeus is our new commander in Iraq. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate last week. And he ought to be given the ability to do his job. It makes no sense to confirm him and then to say, “Well, we think you’re the right guy but we don’t think it’s the right mission.’” (AUDIO) ON DEMOCRAT CRITICISMS OF THE PRESIDENT’S NEW STRATEGY BOEHNER: “Now, the Democrats have no plan. They’re the majority party here in the Congress. And for them to criticize the President’s plan, to criticize the plan, I think is without merit unless they’re willing to put forward a serious plan and to have some meaningless ‘Sense of the Congress’ that says ‘we don’t like the plan’ means nothing.” (AUDIO) ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TWO-PART STRATEGY BOEHNER: “The House Republicans have two proposals that are out there. One, by [Rep.] Sam Johnson [R-TX], is to say that we will always support our troops that are in harm’s way, and in no way we should cut spending for our troops that are in harm’s way. And the second resolution basically says this: we should have a bipartisan panel - five Democrats, five Republicans - looking over the implementation of the President’s plan. We outline benchmarks that are there to try to ensure the success of this plan. “And so I think that as this debate continues to go on, Republicans in the House are taking a responsible position. We are a separate branch of government, we are under the Constitution required to do oversight of the executive branch and making sure that this plan works is in the best interest of the President and the American people.” (AUDIO) ON BENCHMARKS FOR THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT BOEHNER: “What are the steps necessary to stabilize the new democracy in Iraq? How well are they doing with their reconstruction? Have they put their funds in prior to our funds going in? Are their troops showing up in Baghdad as they’ve committed? And how are they doing? What are the rules of engagement? What this is intended to do is to make sure that the plan is on schedule and it is succeeding. “You have to understand: defeat in Iraq is unacceptable. Because if we pull the troops out and come home, guess what — the terrorists are going to follow us right here.” (AUDIO) Our Options in Iraq | House Republicans Offer Two-Part Strategy to Help the President’s New Strategy SucceedPosted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 30th, 2007
When it comes to the war in Iraq, the stakes for our country and our military are high. We have two options, and when examined carefully, our choice is clear. OPTION #1: FAILURE IN IRAQ Failure in Iraq would bring about disastrous consequences for U.S. security, our interests, and our allies. Failure in Iraq would allow Al Qaeda to emerge stronger and establish safe havens to plot and carry out attacks against Americans and our allies. Failure in Iraq would give Iran free reign to increase its support for Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, and to spread instability throughout the Middle East. Failure in Iraq would pull neighboring countries into an escalating sectarian conflict in Iraq which could devolve into a civil war or a regional conflict. And failure in Iraq would embolden our enemies who seek to destroy Israel. OPTION #2: SUCCESS IN IRAQ Success in Iraq will further America’s strategic interests to empower moderate Arab and Muslim governments in the Middle East and to deny terrorists a safe haven - not just in Iraq - but throughout the Middle East, striking a significant blow to the efforts of Islamic extremists in a region which serves as a critical source of recruits, funding, and support for global terrorist activities. It will mean a safer, more secure America we all want for our children and grandchildren. When faced with the realities of these two choices, our only option is success. The President has laid out a new strategy for success in Iraq and General David Petraeus, who during his Senate confirmation hearing discussed the negative consequences of early withdrawal from Iraq and the encouragement Congressional resolutions of disapproval would give our enemies in Iraq, has been unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to help implement this strategy. But with the growing perception that progress has stalled, House Republicans have offered a two-part plan to help ensure success in Iraq. The first part is a proposal by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) – a distinguished Vietnam War veteran – to ensure the Congress does not cut off or restrict funding for America’s troops who are in a combat zone. The second part is a proposal designed to help Gen. Petraeus successfully implement the President’s new strategy by putting pressure on the Iraqi government and holding it accountable for its role in achieving success. These two efforts are in stark contrast to the Congressional “resolutions of disapproval” – non-binding criticisms of the President and the war – which, as Gen. Petraeus told the Senate last week, harm our chances for success by providing encouragement to our enemies:
The House Republican proposals explicitly support our troops and the President’s new strategy for success in Iraq. What is the Democrats’ plan for success in Iraq? Victory in Iraq is critical to America’s strategic interests. The President’s new strategy deserves a chance to succeed and it should receive fair and full consideration by this Congress. READ MORE: What is the Democrat Strategy for Success in Iraq? (1/29/2007) What’s Buried in the Democrat “Cromnibus?”Posted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 29th, 2007
The business before the House of Representatives this week includes consideration of the Democrats’ continuing resolution, or CR, on Wednesday. While the details of this Omnibus spending bill – or CROMNIBUS, to coin a hybrid phrase for cramming roughly half the entire federal discretionary budget and assorted policy changes into one vehicle – have not been made public, a few of its figures have been leaked. After months of campaign pledges to deliver a more “open and accountable” Congress, coupled with dozens of promises to “return to regular order” after the “100 Hours” agenda, Democrats are still locked behind closed doors spending taxpayer dollars without any transparency whatsoever. The Democrat Continuing Resolution (CR)/Omnibus - or CROMNIBUS - by the numbers: Total price tag: $463,000,000,000.00 Amount each taxpayer will pay to fund the CROMNIBUS subject to no debate: $3500.00 Expected savings for the taxpayer: $0.00 Number of pages in the Democrat CROMNIBUS: 135 Number of pages in the clean bipartisan current CR: 19 Number of DAYS the Senate could spend debating the CROMNIBUS: 15 Number of elected officials negotiating the CROMNIBUS: 2 Appropriations Chairmen Number of HOURS the House will spend debating the CROMNIBUS on the floor: 1 Number of hours spent debating this bill at the Appropriations Committee: 0 Views, estimates, and/or related bill reports to be issued by Democrats: 0 Number of bipartisan Member meetings on the CROMNIBUS: 0 Number of amendments allowed under the expected Democrat “Martial Law” rule: 0 Number of amendments allowed during Senate consideration: Unlimited Number of buried earmarks, pet projects, and other wasteful expenditures: ???????? The Democrat Leadership’s Broken Promises: Priceless Pro-Growth Republican Policies Help Shrink Budget Deficit | Balancing the Budget Doesn’t Require Raising TaxesPosted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 29th, 2007
Balancing the budget is more than a matter of dollars and cents – it is about enacting smart policies that expand opportunities for American families and grow our economy. This was the goal in 2003 when, according to the Wall Street Journal, part of the Republican tax relief package “liberated hundreds of billions of dollars of capital for new investment.” This new infusion of free market capital helped create the new family-wage jobs of today and tomorrow, which have in turn boosted revenues to the federal government and put us on a path to a balanced budget. The Wall Street Journal wrote this morning:
In fact, new data released from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggests that the federal deficit will fall from $248 billion in 2006 to $172 billion in 2007. The New York Times says that the “decline of the deficit comes on the heels of unexpectedly large increases in tax revenue over the last two years”:
In addition to the CBO data, the U.S. Treasury Department released a report earlier this month announcing a record-setting December budget surplus of $44.54 billion. Both are more proof that Republican pro-growth policies are strengthening our economy by creating jobs and spurring investment. Unleashing the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that drives America is the best way to grow the economy and balance the federal budget. What is the Democrat Strategy for Success in Iraq? | GOP Leaders Have Offered a Responsible Plan to Help the President’s New Iraq Strategy SucceedPosted by GOP Leader Press Office on January 29th, 2007
In Senate hearings last week Gen. David Petraeus testified that reinforcing U.S. troops in Iraq is necessary for the President’s new strategy to succeed. The Democrat-controlled chamber then went on to endorse his selection as the new commander of American armed forces in Iraq without a single dissenting Democrat vote despite oft-repeated opposition to the President’s new strategy. An editorial in the Washington Post captured the irony:
Last week, House Republican Leaders and key Committee Ranking Members unveiled a responsible proposal to help measure the effectiveness of the President’s new strategy by setting strategic benchmarks and calling for a bipartisan select panel to oversee the new strategy’s implementation. The proposal is designed to help the President’s new strategy succeed. It begs the question: what is the Democrat plan for success in Iraq? House and Senate Democrat leaders have stated they oppose the increase in troops, and their whole idea of troop “redeployment” would amount to little more than pulling out our troops and walking away. As Senator Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) told the Wall Street Journal last week:
Stephen Hadley, the President’s national security adviser, explained in a Washington Post op-ed today that rather than “walking away,” any strategy for success in Iraq “must have a plan for securing Baghdad”:
It is in America’s strategic interests to ensure regional stability in the Middle East and to deny terrorists a safe haven in Iraq. The President’s new strategy deserves a chance to succeed and it should receive fair and full consideration by this Congress. |
SubscribeArchivesCategories
|
GOP Leader Blog
-
EMAIL ALERTS
-
PODCAST
-
TWITTER
-
FEEDS
-
OHIO�S 8th DISTRICT
Office of the House Republican Leader
- H-204 The Capitol |
- Washington, DC 20515 |
- p. (202) 225-4000 |
- f. (202) 225-5117 |
- Click here to email the Republican Leader
- home |
- news |
- contact information |
- email updates |
- privacy policy