GOP Leaders Reach Tentative Deal on Budget (big program cuts)

[pinto]

35 billion proposed cut from Medicaid...

By MARY DALRYMPLE, Associated Press Writer
2 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - Top congressional Republicans reported agreement Thursday on a budget that envisions $10 billion in Medicaid savings over the next five years and at least $70 billion in tax cuts.

The plan could also open the way to oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

<snip>


Overall, officials said the agreement envisioned savings of roughly $35 billion over five years from federal benefit programs. If implemented, it would mark the first time since 1997 that lawmakers have looked to this type of program for savings.

The largest single portion of the $35 billion would come from Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income Americans, officials said. Another $6.6 billion in deficit reduction would come from federal pension programs, including higher fees paid by employers. About $3 billion would come from agriculture programs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050428/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending;_ylt=AssRB7ka4ZfViaRE3vX.Al2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2MTQ3MTFjBHNlYwN0cw--

[whistle]

1. That will mean $70 billion more in national debt to pay for tax cuts

[Rainscents]

2. Suck it to little peoples program... This is so sick!

[spotbird]

3. Knowing that they want to destroy America

doesn't make it any easier to watch.

[AlCzervik]

4. How about cutting the pork and leaving medicaid alone?

i read in Buisness week that if and when the new budget is passed it will add $150 billion to the deficit.

[central scrutinizer]

5. nice synergy

now when these poor people use their credit cards to pay their medical bills, the credit card companies can take anything and everything they own - nice. You can only get synergies like this with seamless one-party rule.

[madrchsod]

6. eat shit and die old people, well

thank you mr bush, can i have another helping?

[cyberpj]

7. I heard one House member say they would "gut" anything left in SS

trust fund to apply to the deficit. He was complaining that they didn't have time to read it and were being pressured to pass it on talking points only and that he had "heard" that item was in there.

sorry I didn't hear who it was - I'm cleaning while listening to cspan.

he then went on to say he was pretty sure they would "ram" this through, just like they "ram" everything else through but he wanted to call them on the sneaky way they have done everything since day one and get it on the record.

[ewagner]

8. I want DETAILS DAMMIT!

Just precisely how are they planning on "saving" $10 Billion from Medicare?

Who are they going to leave on the streets to die in order to save $10 billion?

oh, yeah, another $75 Billion in tax cuts.......

a-holes!!!! :grr: :grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

[phantom power]

9. I hope the middle-class republicans enjoy watching their

social services "drowned in the bathtub"

[Toots]

10. Isn't Medicaid a state run program?

So what we will see is a huge tax increase at the state level. If you live in a poor state or a thinly populated state you be screwed.....Every state hit the hardest will be a red one I would bet. they may not get the largest cuts but they will not have the means to make up the difference as can say California or New York. You want your property taxes to rise vote Republican. You want children begging at your door for school money vote Republican..You want an America that is unhealthy vote Republican...

[Willy Lee]

11. Missouri's new repub governor Matt Blunt just axed medicaid for 100,000

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/ADA9A8EB2AC8A19786256FEF00606BAD?OpenDocument

Asshole.

[Dhalgren]

12. Dear Mr. Rich Fatcat,

The reason that hundreds of thousands of people will be rioting in the streets, burning everything that will burn and killing anyone who gets in their way will be because these masses of people will have nothing to lose. They are disenfranchised, robbed of all their worth, robbed of any hope for any kind of a future, their parents have been thrown into the gutter, their children have been sold into slavery, and all that they have left is anger, rage, and the strength to destroy , loot, and attempt some well earned revenge. This all is happening because of your greed, callousness, and lack of foresight. If you had been only half as smart as you have always assumed yourself to be you would have easily prevented this state of affairs by checking your greed, behaving as though you were a feeling human being, and simply demonstrating that, indeed, you can pour piss from a boot. Alas, it is now too late.

signed: The Citizens (Judge, Jury, and Executioner)

[creeksneakers2]

13. Culture of life?

About a month ago, the Republicans said every possible medical procedure should be used to keep someone alive, even if the thinking portion of their brain is dead. Now that large numbers of people will be affected, the GOP doesn't want to spend the money. I hope they are asked what happened to their "culture of life."