Republican Study Commitee

[TennBear]

I was hoping that you could take a look at some of the proposals that have been put for by the Republican Study Commitee and go over their merits/detriments. We know that we need to hold the line/cut expenditures. Which of these would you be in favor of or against. If not these, what suggestions would you present?

Table 1: Summary of Savings in Title I

(Savings from Baseline, in Millions of Dollars)

5-year 10-year

2006 savings savings

___________________________________________________________________________

Delay the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill for One year -30,800 -30,800 -30,800

Repeal the Highway Earmarks in TEA-LU -25,000 -25,000 -25,000

Reduce Medicaid Administrative Spending -600 -4,230 -12,860

Increase Allowable Co-pays in Medicaid -90 -1,970 -7,730

Block Grant Medicaid Acute Services -2,300 -44,000 -225,000

Reduce Farm Payment Acreage by 1% -31 -452 -941

Eliminate Subsidized Loans to Graduate Students -840 -4,170 -8,555

Base New Federal Retiree Health on Length of Service -130 -1,560 -6,330

Increase Medicare Part B Premium from 25% to 30% -4,650 -33,500 -84,770

Restructure Medicare's Cost-Sharing Requirement -4,750 -34,230 -87,460

Impose a Home Health Co-payment of 10% -1,470 -11,800 -31,480

Update the Formula Used for Federal Pension -50 -1,305 -5,170

SUBTOTAL: Tough Options -70,711 -193,017 -526,096

Table 2: Summary of Savings in Title II

(Savings from Baseline, in Millions of Dollars)

5-year 10-year

2006 savings savings

___________________________________________________________________________

Eliminate US Subscriptions to the European Bank -36 -184 -386

Reduce Economic Assistance to Egypt -12 -400 -1,200

Eliminate Millennium Challenge Accounts -1,750 -9,415 -24,352

Level Funding for Peacekeeping Operations -93 -500 -1,294

Eliminate International Fund for Ireland -14 -75 -195

Level Funding for Global AIDS Initiative -546 -2,938 -7,598

Level Funding for Inter-American Foundation -2 -11 -28

Level Funding for the African Development Foundation -2 -11 -28

Level Funding for the Peace Corps -8 -43 -111

Level Funding for Andean Counter-Drug Initiative -9 -48 -125

Reduce USAID Operating Expenses -57 -307 -793

Level Funding for the International Development Assoc. -107 -576 -1,489

Level Funding for Asian Development Bank -16 -86 -223

SUBTOTAL: Restraining Foreign Aid -2,652 -14,594 -37,822

Table 3: Summary of Savings in Title III

(Savings from Baseline, in Millions of Dollars)

5-year 10-year

2006 savings savings

Eliminate the National Science Foundation Math and Science Program -188 -973 -2,036

Cancel NASA's New Moon/Mars Initiative -1,493 -11,511 -44,042

Eliminate State and Community Grants for Energy Conservation -36 -223 -479

Eliminate Money-Losing Timber Sales -130 -710 -1,550

Scale Back the Conservation Security Program -58 -2,216 -6,676

Limit Future Enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program -14 -1,910 -5,285

Eliminate the National Parks Heritage Areas and Statutory Aid -26 -134 -280

Eliminate Federal Grants for Wastewater Infrastructure -950 -9,899 -23,332

Eliminate the Energy Star Program -75 -391 -835

Eliminate the Science to Achieve Results Program -90 -472 -1,007

Eliminate Payments to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers -6 -32 -83

Reduce Federal Subsidies for Amtrak -250 -1,250 -2,500

Eliminate the Next Generation of High-Speed Rail -20 -105 -220

Eliminate the New Starts Transit Program -1,204 -6,055 -12,200

Eliminate the Essential Air Service -103 -525 -1,075

Drop Wealthy Communities from CDBG -837 -4,330 -9,064

Convert Rural Community Advancement Program to State Revolving Funds -12 -194 -4,517

Eliminate the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation -116 -600 -1,257

Eliminate the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund -52 -270 -566

Eliminate the Economic Development Administration -201 -1,081 -2,797

Eliminate the Minority Business Development Agency -30 -161 -417

Eliminate State Grants for Safe and Drug-Free Schools -444 -2,298 -4,810

Eliminate the Even Start Program -114 -592 -1,238

Eliminate Teen Funding Portion of Title X Family Planning -95 -511 -1,322

Eliminate the Administration Fees to Schools -144 -744 -1,557

Eliminate the Leveraging Educational Assistance Program -67 -345 -722

Eliminate Funding for the National and Community Service Act -560 -3,000 -6,480

End the Redistribution of Unused Federal Funds from SCHIP -20 -350 -1,140

Eliminate Childless Adult Coverage in SCHIP n/a -330 -660

Eliminate Funding for Penile Implants Under Medicare n/a -4 -8

Tie Rent Subsidies for One Person to Cost of Efficiency Apartments -62 -894 -3,146

Eliminate School Lunches for Students Above 350% of Poverty -125 -3,150 -6,690

Remove Ceiling for Collecting Overpayments from SSI -70 -425 -920

Reduce Funding for the Airport Improvement Program -600 -3,228 -8,349

SUBTOTAL: Reprioritization -21,530 -127,265 -307,180

Table 4: Summary of Savings in Title IV

(Savings from Baseline, in Millions of Dollars)

5-year 10-year

2006 savings savings

Eliminate Attach

[Gusterfell]

Looks like they want to cut medical, environmental, foreign aid, education, and research spending; all areas in which the US already lags behind the rest of the developed world. This will only cause the standard of living in the US to fall even further behind. Where are the calls for repealing the tax cuts (not the same thing as a tax hike)? Where are the calls for reduced military spending? We spend more on our military than the next dozen or so spenders combined. Why is that necessary?

[monsoon]

The Republican Promise to America has become the Republican Lie to America.

Government is far larger than it has ever been, Spending hasn't been this high since FDR was in office, Millions are being thrown back into the welfare state due to all the jobs being shifted overseas, and "conservative compassionism" means leaving people to die after storms and fighting unnecessary wars. The party is even morally bankrupt as the Republican head of the House is charged with felonies, and the Republican head of the Senate is being investigated for illegal insider stock trading. And it appears that political cronyism has led to the federal government is being run by people that are not qualified for the job.

It is a disgrace to America and I am amazed the people stand for it. This is a party that is only interested in enriching the few at the expense of everyone else.

For the people who post here and support this bunch, say goodby to your mass transit, goodby to the high speed rail, goodby to sustainable living, good by to alternative energy, goodby to a competitive America. The party running things now doesn't believe in it and as the list above proves.

[Snowguy716]

Amen monsoon.

The cuts proposed to the environment, education, medical care, foreign aid, and research spending are absolutely ridiculous. It seems they'll gut all the programs that help the little guy in favor of continuing their orgy of spending on the military while promising tax cuts to the super rich.

I feel like the people that stand for it are too ignorant to open their eyes or they have been brainwashed.

The republican vision of America at the moment seems to America as a 3rd world country economy with a military that can plow the rest of the world over. Are we seriously trying to return to 1850?

The Republicans have already repealed their way back into the depression.. and now they seem to want to take it even further. The achievements of the "Great Generation" that lived through the depression and fought in world war 2 are being repealed one by one by a generation absolutely spoiled by the achievements their parents worked so hard to give to them (the baby boomers). Now, my generation is spoiled as ever.. but at least I can respect that a generation that lived through the hell that my grandparents lived htrough probably have something constructive to say when it comes to politics (and they did in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s)

I think, hopefully, America will wake up and hte republicans will have some serious losses in the next election. There's no way that Americans can stand this any longer, and if they do.. I've lost a lot of respect for them. Becuase they're so ignorant that they want nothing more than to hurt themselves.

My proposal would be this:

Cut military spending to pre 2001 levels, repeal the tax cuts, and raise hte taxes on the top 2% to fill in the rest of the gap.

Why not concentrate our military on DEFENDING our nation rather than running all over the world trying to play hero. It would be a lot more effective, and a lot cheaper. But I guess when it comes to the military, the republicans are about as tax-and-spend (or rather: No-tax and spend-anyway) liberal as it gets.

[TennBear]

It is interesting to me what the responses have been. I honestly expected to be attacked for lying or being cornered on where I got this information.

[TennBear]

If you would like to read the whole report, below is an address where you can view it.

http://johnshadegg.house.gov/rsc/RSC_Budget_Options_2005.pdf

[Gusterfell]

It is interesting to me what the responses have been. I honestly expected to be attacked for lying or being cornered on where I got this information.

Not at all. I have no trouble believing that today's Republican party would come up with this sort of proposal. The party has been hijacked by the fascist neocon agenda, and has strayed from its core principles. Like monsoon and Snowguy said, the party today exists only to enrich themselves at the expense of the American people, and it is only through their skillful use of propaganda that they are able to get away with it. The vast majority of Republican voters are voting against their own interests, and most don't even realise it.

For those who take issue with what I just said, explain how cutting all the above programs to control spending will be better for the average American than eliminating multi-billion dollar handouts to the defense industry and other Republican cronies would.