Alarms Sounded as GOP Bills Grow

[kskiska]

Opposition Overcome with Extra Spending

Monday, November 24, 2003; Page A01

As Congress rushes to conclude its 2003 session, Republican leaders are trying to garner votes for controversial legislation by loading the bills with billions of dollars in added costs that analysts said would expand the budget deficit for years to come. The year-end binge has alarmed analysts in Washington and on Wall Street, coming as it does after three years of presidential and congressional initiatives that have both substantially boosted government spending and shrunk its tax base.

"The U.S. budget is out of control," the Wall Street investment firm Goldman Sachs & Co. warned Friday in its weekly newsletter to clients.

In the final days of the congressional session, GOP leaders added billions of dollars to energy and Medicare bills to help persuade key factions to support the legislation. Overall, the energy bill would cost $33 billion and the Medicare bill $400 billion.

Less noticed were congressional moves to expand veterans' benefits by $22 billion and increase spending on forest-thinning projects from $420 million a year to $760 million to ensure passage of forest legislation promoted by the White House. Lawmakers are also trying to extend 14 expiring tax cuts through 2004, at a cost to the Treasury of more than $7 billion.

All those actions come in the face of a federal budget deficit already projected to rise from a record $374 billion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 to close to or above $500 billion in the current fiscal year.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8763-2003Nov23.html

[madrchsod]

1. who backs bush on everything he does

that benefits them-could it be wall street? now things are getting out of hand even for them? is bush bad for business? dumb asses

[UpInArms]

2. a "well duh" moment for the cheerleading section?

"The U.S. budget is out of control," the Wall Street investment firm Goldman Sachs & Co. warned Friday in its weekly newsletter to clients.

stupid arses

[schultzee]

3. These republicans are worse than the Nixon bunch. Really.

I was in college during Nixon and this is worse. We hated Nixon but Bu$h is scarier.

[Kitsune]

4. And yet, Dems get called tax-and-spend....

I am mystified.

[pasadenaboy]

5. we have to call the repubs

borrow and spend. Thats what they are. Why no one has used that line when being accused of being tax and spend is beyond me.

[hedda_foil]

6. Dean uses the borrow and spend line constantly.

He's been doing it from the start.

[Occulus]

7. actually,

when speaking of their corporate sponsors, it ought to be "borrow and hoard" Republicans.

[0rganism]

8. What to call repugs: CUT AND RUN

Ordinarily, the job of a responsible government is accomplished via Taxing and Spending. "Tax and Spend Democrat" could be seen as a compliment, as someone who understands revenue and expense is potentially fit to govern.

Republicans of late practice the philosophy of "Cut and Run", by Cutting taxes for their wealthiest donors so it is easier for them to Run for office. They plan the Cuts in services to occur when they're ready to Run away from the consequences.

[radfringe]

9. When Bu$shco and GOPers yell "CHARGE"

they are really saying "Charge it!"

welcome to the Credit Card Congress