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Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
The House Republican budget plan is generating plenty of attention today, and for good reason, but it's worth noting that when it comes to competing alternatives, it's not the only game in town.
Senate Democrats, for the first time in years, will present a budget plan of their own tomorrow, and while we wait for the details, Greg Sargent has an advance look -- including the welcome news that Dems will propose $100 billion in stimulus.
According to a source familiar with the proposal, Democrats will offer a plan tomorrow that does not simply cut the deficit amid mass unemployment. It takes steps to mitigate the damage the cuts are expected to do to the economy by spending to boost job creation and job training.
According to the source, the plan -- which is being presented by Senate Budget Committee Chairperson Patty Murray to the Dem caucus today -- replaces the whole sequester and includes a total of $1.85 trillion in deficit reduction, derived from a 50-50 split of cuts and revenues derived from closing tax loopholes.
We'll get a better sense of the details tomorrow, but these preliminary reports suggest Senate Democrats are preparing, if you'll excuse the word, a serious budget plan. It doesn't pay for massive tax breaks with undefined "reforms"; it doesn't strive for fiscal balance exclusively through revenue or spending cuts alone; and it doesn't push for an economically risky balanced budget for no particular reason.
Indeed, as Matt Yglesias noted, it doesn't buy into the House Republican we-must-balance-the-budget-in-10-years-or-else argument at all, preferring instead to aim for fiscal sustainability -- approve $1.85 trillion in additional debt reduction, on top of the debt reduction that's already been approved.
That won't satisfy the most ardent deficit hawks -- though satisfying them probably shouldn't be anyone's top priority -- but it would pursue debt reduction goals outlined by the Simpson-Bowles report that the Beltway seems so fond of.
The Senate Democratic plan would also reduce entitlement spending through Medicare savings that don't affect benefits, while cutting $240 billion from the Pentagon budget and $200 billion from non-defense spending.
This, in other words, is the sort of moderate, mainstream approach that one might expect from a responsible governing party. It accepts compromises, requires concessions from both parties, focuses on pressing needs (scrapping sequestration cuts and boosting infrastructure), and strives for balanced policymaking.
The contrasts with the reckless House GOP plan speak volumes about how the parties approach their duties.
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Stimulus will be a hard sell unless a few bridges fall down in the meantime. The president keeps asking for infrastructure expenditures but they won't listen. (obamasay.com)
Hey Goofball RepTurds , Where are All of the JOBS that you all ran your campaigns on - AGAIN ? Where IS This Trickle-down effect ? All that I can see is that all of you are destroying Jobs for Americans on a daily basis and BLEEDING America for your own personal benefit !
So hard to choose between these two budgets!
Bankrupt/Ryan
Solvent/Obama.
Tough choice. Oh, heck, I guess Obama's is a little better....LOL
Poor Wittle Pauwie Wyan - nobody who knows 2+2=4 will give him any wespect!
Poor, poor wittle Pauwie - and he tried hard, too! He really really did!
/snark
Yeah, but the hard part is still going to be getting the usual Washington suspects and the courtier press to acknowledge that spending hasn't already exploded out of control, that tax cuts for the rich aren't a proven loser, and that the world's strongest currency won't explode into the flames of Weimar-era inflation unless we immediately destroy the economy with the same austerity fever that's killing Europe.
Happy to give my pal India the green star! Nice!
Oh My God. Sanity? In a budget proposal? It can't be true. Is this the Onion?
Now if the President would just say he's against the senate budget. Republicans will be tripping over each other getting to a microphone to tell the "american people" we have a budget deal.
So, here we go again. The Republicans propose an extreme far-right plan, the Democrats propose a reasonable, moderate plan. And the compromise will be a right-leaning budget.
Which will be rejected by the House Republican Caucus, which will counterpropose an even farther-right plan. After a high-drama showdown, the House reluctanty agrees to accept the original Republican plan instead but continue to complain about the Administration's refusal to negotiate in good faith.
So...does anyone know why the tax 'benefits' GIVEN to the rich and big corporations..AND the numerous LOOPHOLES GIVEN to them not called ENTITLEMENTS??? hmmmm
We might make some progress in the 'fairness' realm if they were.
Many of the "Limbaugh loving, FAUX crazy republicans" don't even know that Paulie Ryan has only had two jobs in the private sector- driving a weinermobile and flipping burgers at McDonalds.
Social security put Paul Ryan through college. And now he wants to make sure no one else can retire because no medical or social security check.
"This, in other words, is the sort of moderate, mainstream approach that one might expect from a responsible governing party."
Yes, which means it will have about the same chances that an ice cube has in HELL. It's also too bad that they believe that the GOTP will be willing to do more than just bluster and preen for the cameras as they whine about the dems not being serious, and the corporate owned media will parrot the talking points as usual.
And off Democrats go, playing into Republican and Beltway PetePetersenThink hands by negotiating with themselves on wingnut rules of what is the conversation and what is to be done. And to hell with changing the conversation to what it should be: the complete failure of conservative ideas and policies.
Democrats never make proposals that give them room to negotiate to get where they really want to be. So while Republicans are out in Banana Republic land, Democrats propose something in the middle of the right lane. Then when the compromising gets over with, the country has veered ever closer to the Republican Holy Grail of a Koch-land.
Democrats never learn. Dumb as a pile of shhit. But oh, fair fellow citizens, they do get the Adult-in-the-Room award. Big fu king deal.
Remind me to ask anyone who ever wishes to negotiate on my behalf: are you now, or were you ever, a member of the national Democratic party?
An answer in the affirmative will be a dealbreaker.
It's sad to say but a bunch of crusties banging on drums in a lower Manhattan park moved the GOP further to left (or at least the national fiduciary conversation) than 1000 "serious, mainstream" Senate budget proposals ever would.
Disgusted: Senator Murray's Senate Budget is not even out, and you are already trashing it, and insulting her and many others. Perhaps you should read it before unleashing F-bombs? From what Steve has posted, it seems like it might be reasonable. Patty Murray is a very straight shooter, and often gets mentioned on these boards as a future Leader, yet you won't give her the benefit of waiting to read it before having a hissy fit. I do credit you for spreading your hate around, at least you are consistent, you hate everything and anyone you disagree with.
I share the disgust.. The wait and see is barely warranted because this @!$%# isn't going anywhere until the midterms.. Our nation is paralyzed by stupidity.
so they can just scrap the sequestration cuts? i'm all sorts of confused.
It can be repealed completely with the passage of a bill with a single line. Or with a single line added to any bill that does pass.
You forgot "and is dead on arrival."
Yeah, as dead in Never-Never-Land (the House) as Wittle Pauwie's "Budget" is in Grown-up Land.
hmmm. 135 coments on paul ryan saying he wants to destroy obamacare and the left trying to spin like it was some kind of slip. but the 1 trillion in new taxes senate dems want only has 16? I guess tax and spend liberal is old hat by now.
Pretty much everything that comes out of your mouth is "old hat," troll.
Like I said, the nation is paralyzed with stupidity.. Dude, nobody has been paying there taxes since George "Checks from nowhere" Bush started handing out tiny tax breaks for the middle class and massive incentives to his business fellows (KBR, Halliburton, et al).. The point is that nobody, especially the wealthy have been paying into the revenue stream to "durp" you know, fix roads and stuff or to occupy other countries for 10+ years.. Is that dumbed-down enough for you to understand? The money has been spent, it's now time to pay the price!
Only the GOP being the dead beats they are want to skip out of paying for the money they spent.
Probably the most partisan post I've seen. The Senate and White House have not proposed or passed budgets in the past 4 years, despite federal law that compels them to do so. The House has passed multiple budgets. To negotiate you have to start somewhere. Shame on Reid and shame on Obama....you are not even trying!
Well whaddaya know, I agree with the above.
Who says we can never agree on something?
That doesn't mean there "was no budget", because there was a budget send to the House by the President every year.
Ever notice they keep whining about a balanced budget yet ignore that no republican has ever balanced a budget since Teddy R was president.
Does Ryan think that by putting out an absurd plan he can get the democrats to come his way if he relents on some of his vile budget cuts?
I say NO to any adjustments to Social Security or Medicaid/Medicare unless it is to INCREASE benefits..........
Let the sequestration continue....and let those 40 something per cent that voted for a republican see just exactly what they are in for if they support anymore republicans......just like Wisconsin had a wake-up call, this is the time for a major wake-up call nationally .............20114 will much different from what the republicans think it will be.......
Vote Democratic ~
I wrote something before but apparently it was not transmitted. My point is simple: the R's are still hell-bend on refusing to do anything legislatively that will make Obama and the Dems look good. They are not persuaded by the polls (91% against them), by reason and logic, by other R's that disagree with them or by any of Rachel's arguments. They only care about their ideology and being re-elected in their "safe" districts. It's a sad situation but that's the way it is now.