Politicians can't find $85 billion in cuts out of a $3.7 trillion budget... really?

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Jean71

Republicans want the sequester.

They don't because of military cuts, that's why they moved on the upper income tax bracket. Americans need to realize Democrats tax and spend and Republicans borrow and spend. What do they have in common, spending. When has a Republican president drastically cut our debt and deficit? Both parties have a spending problem.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

That's true. Each side is producing the fear buttons for the public.

The Repubs say the country will be left defenseless and the Dems are saying the poor will starve.
They are acting in a bipartisan way to promote the fear yet have done nothing to avoid this sequester action.

Exactly

[evilnewbie]

The democrats son't want to cut the increase in spending and the republicans don't want to increase spending for no other reason then just because...

[TheHurricaneKid]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

That's true. Each side is producing the fear buttons for the public.

The Repubs say the country will be left defenseless and the Dems are saying the poor will starve.
They are acting in a bipartisan way to promote the fear yet have done nothing to avoid this sequester action.

But wouldn't bringing the troops back enable more defense?

Wouldn't cutting the debt give value to the dollar, resulting in a non-starving poor?

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by evilnewbie

The democrats son't want to cut the increase in spending and the republicans don't want to increase spending for no other reason then just because...

When Republicans are in power, they do increase spending a lot. Just look under the Bush era. There was a massive medicare expansion that wasn't paid, two wars that weren't paid, TARP, etc. I'm just trying to get the message that both parties spend when they are in power.

[Nite Ryder]

I just read a list of the proposed budget cuts the Republican Party is trying to get voted on. My question is why in hell are we, as taxpayers, paying for some of this crap in the first place?

Notice S.S. and the military are NOT on this list.

* Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy -- $445 million annual savings.
* Save America 's Treasures Program -- $25 million annual savings.
* International Fund for Ireland -- $17 million annual savings.
* Legal Services Corporation -- $420 million annual savings.
* National Endowment for the Arts -- $167.5 million annual savings.
* National Endowment for the Humanities -- $167.5 million annual Savings.
* Hope VI Program -- $250 million Annual savings.
* Amtrak Subsidies -- $1.565 billion annual savings.
* Eliminate duplicating education programs -- H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by
Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.
* U.S. Trade Development Agency -- $55 million annual savings.
* WoodrowWilsonCenter Subsidy -- $20 million annual savings.
* Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding -- $47 million annual savings.
* JohnC.StennisCenter Subsidy -- $430,000 annual savings.
* Community Development Fund -- $4.5 billion annual savings.
* Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid -- $24 million annual savings.
* Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half -- $7.5 billion annual savings
* Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20% -- $600 million annual savings.
* Essential Air Service -- $150 million annual savings.
* Technology Innovation Program -- $70 Million annual savings.
* Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program -- $125 million annual savings.
* Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization -- $530 million annual savings.
* Beach Replenishment -- $95 million annual savings.
* New Starts Transit -- $2 billion annual savings.
* Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical
Trading Partners in Massachusetts -- $9 million annual savings
* Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants -- $2.5 billion annual savings.
* Title X Family Planning -- $318 million annual savings.
* Appalachian Regional Commission -- $76 million annual savings.
* Economic Development Administration -- $293 million annual savings.
* Programs under the National and Community Services Act -- $1.15 billion annual savings.
* Applied Research at Department of Energy -- $1.27 billion annual savings.
* Freedom CAR and Fuel Partnership -- $200 million annual savings.
* Energy Star Program -- $52 million annual savings.
* Economic Assistance to Egypt -- $250 million annually.
* U.S. Agency for International Development -- $1.39 billion annual savings.
* General Assistance to District of Columbia -- $210 million annual savings.
* Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority -- $150 million annual savings.
* Presidential Campaign Fund -- $775 millionsavings over ten years.
* No funding for federal office space acquisition -- $864 million annual savings.
* End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
* Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act -- More than $1 billion annually.
* IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers
(such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of
Allowing it to remain as part of its budget -- $1.8 billion savings over ten years.
* Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees -- $1 billion total savings.

* Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees -- $1.2 billion savings
Over ten years.
* Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of -- $15 billion
Total savings.
* Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.
* Eliminate Mohair Subsidies -- $1 million annual savings.
* Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change -- $12.5 million annual savings
* Eliminate Market Access Program -- $200 million annual savings.
* USDA Sugar Program -- $14 million annual savings.
* Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
-- $93 million annual savings.
* Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program -- $56.2 million annual savings.
* Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs -- $900 million savings.
* Ready to Learn TV Program -- $27 million savings.. WHY?????
* HUD Ph.D. Program.
* Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.
* TOTAL SAVINGS: $2.5 Trillion over Ten Years