From ThinkProgress: Today, Speaker John Boehner rejected Harry Reid’s plan, claiming that it was full of gimmicks. Boehner’s principle criticism was that it counted $1 trillion is savings from winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In an interview on CNBC, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor admitted to Larry Kudlow that both the Ryan Plan and the “Cut, Cap, and Balance” Plan — which were both supported by nearly the entire GOP caucus — also counted savings from winding down the wars:
Cantor: Speaker Boehner came out months ago and said we are not going to increase the debt ceiling unless we have comensurate or even greater cuts in spending. Now Sen. Reid’s plan doesn’t do that. What Sen. Reid’s plan says is we’re going to raise the debt ceiling $2.4 trillion and we are also going to cut spending but what he does is counts over a trillion dollars in spending that is assumed to decrease and go away anyway which is the spending associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Please kids. You want to CUT SPENDING. The Reid plan CUTS SPENDING.
Kudlow: Yes, but isn’t that in the Paul Ryan baseline also, which is the baseline for Cut, Cap and Balance.
Cantor: But, but, but… absolutely it is. But it's not anything additional...
The Reid plan gives Repubs everything they want and now they are avoiding it because the real issue they want is to be able to revisit this in the middle of next year's elections.
For months now we've heard that what the global markets need to see is stability and a plan they can count on. The Reid plan does that. The Boehner plan kicks the can down the road about 8-9 months. This does not show stability or a handle on our spending.
This is more posturing by the Repubs who just want to do everything they can, even if it means putting the full faith and credit of the United States at risk, to bring President Obama down.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
Really?
ReplyDeletehttp://budget.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=253640
Claim 2: “Paul Ryan’s budget also included this savings in its deficit reduction calculation.”
Reality: False. The House-passed budget cuts $6.2 trillion in spending relative to President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget request. This $6.2 trillion figure assumes ZERO savings from the global war on terror relative to the President’s budget.
...
Someone should tell Ryan, he's got numbers and facts and stuff saying otherwise.
But hey, I'm sure you're right and the guy who wrote the plan that we're discussing is wrong.
I mean you've got some talking heads, some liberal opinion makers, Schumer, and a guy who didn't know better who said so on TV... that's much better than having the plan, the breakdown, and the numbers... right?
So ignore any numbers you might see, breakdown of the plan, CBO reports, etc. We need to know what the talking heads say, not what the numbers are.
To Anonymous (courageous name there, btw): my post is accurate. The video tape clearly shows Cantor saying the savings were included in the Ryan plan.
ReplyDeleteHe says "yes, yes, absolutely...."
I merely posted the video where Cantor says the cuts were included. I never say whether or not that's true. Cantor does though. And on video.
Second - my post went on to say Reid's plan cuts spending. Plain and simple. And it does cut spending. How much exactly - I don't know nor do I say.
Repubs have said for a while we need to show the world and our own markets there is stability here. Having a vote now and again in 6 months does not show stability to anyone.
Read my post. I personally never said "the Ryan Plan includes war savings." I merely pointed out that Cantor admitted it.
If you have a beef with that statement, take it up with Cantor.