Democrats Beat Up GOP for DOMA Spending

[babylonsister]

Democrats Beat Up GOP for DOMA Spending

By Emma Dumain Posted at 2:04 p.m. June 26



House Democrats ripped GOP leadership Wednesday for spending millions defending the Defense of Marriage Act after the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that it violated the Constitution.

“It’s an outrage that they would use their status as the majority party to waste taxpayer money,” said freshman Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., an openly gay member of Congress, as he stood in front of the Supreme Court on Wednesday. “It’s really clear now that Republicans wasted that money … instead of focusing on jobs and the economy.”

House Democrats said the GOP spent $2.3 million on outside lawyers after Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced the Justice Department would no longer defend DOMA in court. They also noted that the Congressional Budget Office has scored repealing DOMA as reducing the deficit by $450 million a year.

more...

http://blogs.rollcall.com/goppers/democrats-beat-up-gop-for-doma-spending/

[Cha]

1. Good on the DEMS! This is such an Exciting Victory, babylonsistah,

Mahalo!

the gop.. anything to divert focus on JOBS and everything to play to the sucking teabags.

[babylonsister]

2. Mahalo! It's nice to see such a great victory

after the misery of yesterday.

And yes, props to Dems for calling them out!

[sheshe2]

3. Amazing few days is it not!

Some really great news the last 48 or so hours~

Now this puts a smile on my face Dems +1000.......GOP - infinity!

The soulless GOP bastards deserve to be ripped apart! Go Democrats.

I think the GOP should be sent the bill for this. While we're at it let's add the price of the Issa Witch Hunts.

You think that would be enough to fund The Snap benefits program?

I bet it would~

Thank you for this babylonsister!

[bluestate10]

4. I like this story. Take a knife and go after those bastards every time they over step.

It is high time they be called on their anti-social, anti-women, anti-poor, anti-American conduct.

[William769]

5. Kick & highly recommended.

[babylonsister]

6. Congrats to you, my friend!!!

[William769]

7. Thank you.

This is a win for all of us.

[babylonsister]

9. Absolutely,

but I felt your joy in that big post you have up, so just wanted to let you know I share your joy!

[William769]

10. That really means a lot.

I have been teary eyed all day.

[babylonsister]

11. I can't even imagine, but

I can tell you so many, many people supported you, and this result , as you can see! It's a beautiful day!

[William769]

12. Agreed.

That made me more teary eyed than the decision. Love & respect it's a powerful thing.

[Bryn]

8. Thank You, Texas Senator Wendy Davis

for showing democrats how to fight GOP

[PatrynXX]

13. just admit it GOP are the Tax Cut and Spenders..

which = high debt

Math buddies flunked long ago there..

Wasted what $50 million repealing the AHA


and have no idea how much wasted doing the anti women war on Abortion.

Where's the jobs you idiots. Our bridges are falling apart but oh that 50 person job thing for XL pipeline that will actually cost us money we gotta get that done.

[pnwmom]

14. Wow. I believe the GAO, but I wish there was more info about the savings.

I would have thought it was a wash, since married people owe less in estate taxes.

[progressoid]

15. I wondered that as well. Here's a little break down:

http://americablog.com/2013/03/budget-cost-doma-gay-marriage.html

First the effect of legalizing gay marriage on revenues, i.e., federal taxes:

Revenues would be slightly higher: by less than $400 million a year from 2005 through 2010 and by $500 million to $700 million annually from 2011 through 2014.

+$400m/yr from 2005-2010 = $2.4bn
+$500 to $700m/yr from 2011-2014 = $2.0bn to $2.8bn

Total additional revenues with gay marriage: $4.4 billion to $5.2 billion more tax revenue over ten years if gay marriage were legal.
Decreased federal outlays if gay marriage were legalized

Then we look at the effect of legalizing gay marriage on federal outlays (expenses):

Recognizing same-sex marriages would increase outlays for Social Security and
for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, CBO estimates, but
would reduce spending for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, and
Medicare. Effects on other programs would be negligible. Altogether, CBO concludes, recognizing same-sex marriages would affect outlays by less than $50 million a year in either direction through 2009 and reduce them by about $100 million to $200 million annually from 2010 through 2014.

Negligible impact from 2005-2009 = $0
-$100m/yr to -$200m/yr from 2010-2014= -$500m to -$1bn

Total decrease in federal spending if gay marriage were legal: $500 million to $1 billion less in federal expenditures over ten years if gay marriage were legalized.
Grand total budgetary impacts of legalizing gay marriage over ten years

Legalizing gay marriage would net the federal government between $4.9 billion and $6.2 billion over ten years.

[pnwmom]

16. Thanks!