Proposed GOP Spending Cuts Show Ideology Trumps Logic

The House Appropriations Committee has released its list of proposed cuts to the budget, and once more we can see that the GOP priorities are to use cuts to impose their social agenda while cutting resources to those who most need them, even if it will cost more in the long run.

This list, according to the National Journal, shows Republican’s bravery in attacking “sacred cows” usually untouched in budget discussions. But when they are more closely examined, it becomes obvious that the real desire is to pander to their favorite lobbyists — the rich, oil and energy companies, large agricultural interests, while balancing the deficit on cuts that in many ways counteract each other.

For example, they propose eliminating over $300 million in family planning money, essentially ensuring cutting off birth control for many low income women. Then, they propose $758 million from WIC (Women Infant and Children) Fund, which allows low income women additional money to feed their children, and $210 million from Maternal and Child Health Block Grants. And forget about health care for these families — besides trying to dismantle health care reform, they want to eliminate $1.3 billion from community health centers.

Republicans claim a tough stance on crime, but are eliminating hundreds of millions of dollars in the FBI, National Drug Intelligence Center, COPS and state and local law enforcement. They are going to find that those dollars will be sorely missed once we see the results of cuts to Juvenile Justice and Job training programs, leaving more people turning to crime out of desperation.

Add in the decimation of any sort of environmental or regulation agency, including the Food and Drug Administration, clean water, clean air, and the Environmental Protection Agency and you’ll see the great lengths that the GOP has gone to cut anything they can find that won’t affect their biggest constituencies of voters — and donors.

Total cuts will save $78 billion, most of those dollars affecting those who can least take the hit. Cost of extending the tax cuts for the wealthy?

$678 billion.

Read more: 2011 congress, gop, politics

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Dan B.

6:27PM PDT on Mar 24, 2011

The regressive Republican Party of No is mean-spirited, thuggish, religiously fanatical, scientifically ignorant, corrupt, hypocritical, xenophobic, racist, sexist, homophobic, evolution and global warming denying, oily, authoritarian, selfish, greedy, lacking compassion, warmongering, and otherwise dangerous.

NEVER vote for Republicans.

send a green star

Linda C.

5:36PM PST on Mar 4, 2011

OK, so we need some cuts but do they ALWAYS need to be on the backs of the poor, the kids, the women, the old, sick, infirm, environmental, and law enforcement for god's sake!! And they will bitch like my grandma when crime goes up, pregnancies go up, kids in trouble go up, and education - what's up w/ that??? We can't compete as it is in the world education wise and they want to cut there too? How about they're OWN benefits and hand outs? No matter how ya cut it, Bill Clinton was a good president no matter his morals (or how others perceive them) - that had NOTHING to do w/ his presidential duties!!

Martha E.

9:09AM PST on Feb 27, 2011

The title says it all. repub chumps.

Charles T.

3:28PM PST on Feb 16, 2011

And now we have the President's proposed budget which does little or nothing to even slow the spending binge this country has been on for the last 4-5 years.

In a total abdication of responsibility, the President has just nibbled a bit at some cuts that the Repubs would have to carry by themselves (no Dems would support ANYTHING that might "hurt" someone used to that government check) right into a media storm. Cut "poor" people's heating oil subsidies!

No. Face it guys. Virtually all of you disliking the proposed Repub cuts are at least as partisan as the GOP you whine about. We are being crushed by the national debt and your party has done nothing to even acknowledge the problem other than platitudes. If the Repubs don't do something about the deficit, then we are looking at an economy and dollar to getting crushed...The Dems have proved they won't do anything so it's the Repubs at the moment or nothing.

Ronald Patrick W.

11:46PM PST on Feb 14, 2011

We as Americans need to realize we own the airways being flooded by Big Business and the recently Cooperate Personhood that neglects the We the People, but demands Politicians to spend millions to get elected through the Public Airways by bypassing real HUMANS instead of Corporations to derail democracy by only the fattest of Treasure Chests of the two dominant parties of Our Democracy! Negative ads and flashpoint issues blowing up in everyone's faces is NO substitute for the folks working to keep Democracy Alive and Well in America.. We need to Walk like the Egyptians who have put their lives on the line in dethroning Mubrack(sp) and have collectively said Enough is Enough. He has quite a bit to "retire" with while the actions of these good people have demanded some sort of true representative democracy. This is an event that we should learn from and we in America need to regroup as Conscious and Enlightened Beings to return our government back from the Media of Corporate Personhood where our Public Airways represent people and not Mega Corporations with their infotainment! Please do not be discouraged our love for our Constitution and our Unalienable Rights and Responsibilities must come back to center and allow All Americans the Right to Civil Rights, Civil Responsibilities, and a better Democracy. It is a very complex political world, but we must pay attention and work to re-establish the balance of power, limit the political parties play fair and coherently!!

Ernest R.

1:17PM PST on Feb 14, 2011

@ John Hall In America the political system you say is broken is called DEMOCRACY, and I am wondering what you would replace it with or how you would repair it ? I disagree that the Demos, with all their faults and shortcomings, are worse than the Repugs. I would like to know where you find the homework that shows Obama and his friends being terrorist and wanting to destroy the country. Are you terrified ? There are talk show hosts that call for destruction of an elected president which is preaching TREASON but they are Repugs..

john h.

5:57AM PST on Feb 14, 2011

Steven B.you cant have it both ways the liberals and demo's bitched about this war and how many troops we had over there how many soldiers where getting killed for no reason . now you want them to stay because the taliban and al queda are making a comeback. that's bullshit terrorist have been around for yrs . also the demos are just as crooked as the repubs you just dont care you will defend bad demos because you favor them while bashing the gop. you pick and choose what to believe what laws to defend and break . i see the bigger picture the political system is broken and no matter what party you belong to there crooked with there own agenda that doesnt help the american people. for you being a so called marine and not doing your homework you would no that obama and his friends are terrorist and want to destroy this country . from 1 marine to you the joke of a marine can kiss my a@@.

Steven B.

12:24AM PST on Feb 14, 2011

John Hall (cont'd from somewhere....lol)
The Taliban and Al Queda were making a comeback but you would have had Obama pull all troops out rather than trying to stem their return...idiot. The facts are right before your eyes but you refuse to see anything except that which you have been programmed by FOX noise to see. The GOP has run America into the ground and you with your steadfast denial of the facts will allow them to do it again no matter if you have to work 2 jobs to help them do it.

12:22AM PST on Feb 14, 2011

John Hall
"Rie Rie T. your to lazy or afraid to put a profile up"

What you badgering and bullying people just because they choose not to put profiles up. They do so because there are too many nuts online like you. What not pick on someone your own size...maybe like me. You getting frustrated because everyone else has seen through the bullshit but you ain't got the message yet. Man up, grow a pair and quit being such a pu@@y.

12:13AM PST on Feb 14, 2011

John Hall
With every post you post, I thought you could not get any dumber but you surprise me time and time again. When you speak about the bail out money you are talking about the TARP funds that were authorized and paid out for the most part by the Bush administration to the large investment banks, long before the Obama Administration was in power and the senate was still ruled by Republicans. That is unless you are again talking out your a@@ about a subject you know so little about but seem determined to sway us to the dark side of voodoo FOX economics that have never worked. Now you may have meant the recovery funds most of which were held up by the party of No because their stated goal was to make Obama a one term president, no matter what the cost to America.
No administration in it's right mind would pull all the troops out of a theater of war all at once and to think it is even possible has to be the most innane thing I have heard in a long time. That would kill a lot more of our troops but I guess that would be ok with you. I wonder why you can even wonder about anything judging by your posts. PS John... What rock have you been living under to not know that the American troop level in Iraq is almost a third of what it was when Bush was in office....DUH. Afghanistan has more troops because Bush had ignored that theater when he entered his war of choice in Iraq. The Taliban and Al Queda were making a comeback but you would have had Obama pull all troops out r