Obama Budget Conveniently Blows Off Sequestration

31 Jan, 2015 by William Teach

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Let’s all remember, Sequestration was very much Obama’s idea in the first place

5 things to know before Obama rolls out his budget Monday

Not included in the list, but briefly mentioned, is the notion that Obama looks to be actually planning on releasing his budget in a timely manner, in what would be a first for being on time. None of his other budgets were released anywhere near when they are supposed to be released. If his budget is actually released on Monday, as the saying goes, question the timing.

IT’S JUST AN OPENING BID

Despite all the hoopla surrounding it, a president’s budget is merely a suggestion. That’s especially true this year, with Obama delivering his multi-trillion-dollar wish list to a Senate and House run by the opposition.

Yet, Obama has mostly refused to negotiate during his previous years, and the Democrat controlled Senate was fine with that, having passed no actual budget during the Obama presidency, relying instead on continuing resolutions, because

MOST OF THE BUDGET IS ON AUTOPILOT

Running federal agencies isn’t even the half of it.

The biggest share of the budget goes to what’s called “mandatory spending” — ongoing payments that don’t need annual approval by Congress. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are the biggies. Others include unemployment checks, food stamps and pensions for veterans and government retirees.

The article also notes that Details Matter, How Much Does The Military Get, and

OBAMA WILL BID HIGH

The president will call for increasing spending on agency operating budgets by 7 percent next year, blowing through limits set in an earlier bipartisan deal.

Previewing the detailed document to be released Monday, the White House said it would call for spending about $74 billion more next year than the painful automatic cuts Obama signed into law in that 2011 deal commonly known as the “sequester.” Those harsh automatic cuts were originally set in motion as a threat that would force bipartisan agreement to replace them with something more sensible, but it didn’t work.

Yes, those “painful cuts”, conveniently forgetting that people have to give up part of their earnings to fund the government, and that we are funding the government well above actual tax revenue collection rates, somewhere to the tune of 30-43 cents for every dollar spent, depending on the source. This is not just an Obama/Democrat problem, let’s be clear on that. Government often spends the People’s Money poorly, in a manner that companies and citizens would not wisely not, where we in charge. That’s a whole other giant post.

Let’s flip over to Jennifer Epstein at Politico

President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget proposal includes $74 billion in discretionary spending above the levels permitted by sequestration, a White House official said Thursday.

The increase amounts to a 7 percent increase over sequestration levels. The budget includes $530 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, an increase of $37 billion over the limits, the official said.

Obama’s defense spending proposal totals $561 billion, $38 billion more than the spending caps.
The announcement provides the first details of how much Obama will propose increasing spending when he releases his full budget proposal on Monday. He’s going to make the case that the next round of automatic spending cuts, which are scheduled to begin in October, should be canceled so Congress can spend more on national security and domestic needs — especially now that the Congressional Budget Office has reported that short-term deficits are shrinking.

Republicans are rejecting that argument, saying the nation’s long-term spending pressures are still a problem and Obama’s proposals do nothing about them. They’d prefer to live within the lower spending limits and are likely to base their own budget proposals on the reduced levels later this year.

At his root, Obama likes to spend (Other People’s) money. He likes the notion of a Big Big Big Central Government.

What this is really about, though, is manufacturing yet another fight with Congressional Republicans, particularly now that the GOP has taken control of the Senate. For all his “yes we can” and kumbaya rhetoric, Obama loves strife. He loves a good fight. He likes to be the one who creates the fight. He’s done virtually nothing in his years in office at any level to propagate the notion of working together. He loves to have an arch-foe, and he’ll create one if necessary. That’s what this budget is about.

What will happen will be that Obama will release his budget, and even before he discusses this with Congress he’ll hit the road and make quite a few campaign style speeches demonizing Congressional Republicans. We’ll hear his standard rhetoric, which we’re all used to from the past 6 six, which will thrill his hardcore Progressive base and have Republicans against him. And, there will be few, if any, negotiations with Republicans at any time afterwards.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.