Research Briefing

Dems Push For Tax Hikes,

Save Cowboy Poetry Slams,

Refuse Spending Cuts

RATHER THAN CUT SPENDING, DEMOCRATS PROPOSE RAISING TAXES

Democrats Have "Barely Budged" In Developing Any Significant Spending Cuts. "Republicans -- and much of the news media -- measure the cuts from the 2010 budget, the last one signed into law. Under that scoring, the Republicans have cut $60 billion and the Democrats about $10 billion. The two sides are still $50 billion apart, but under this scenario, the Democrats have barely budged." (Glenn Kessler, "Obama And The White House's 'Halfway' Fixation With The Budget," The Washington Post's "The Fact Checker" Blog, 3/8/11)

• The CBO Says That The Democrats’ Claimed $6.7 Billion In Cuts Is Actually Only $4.7 Billion. “The Congressional Budget Office this week said that the Senate Democrats’ bill offers $4.7 billion in spending cuts -- not the $6.5 billion that President Obama and congressional Democrats said. The bottom line: Democrats and Republicans are roughly $52 billion apart in the cuts they want to see.” (Jake Tapper and Matthew Jaffee, “CBO: Democrats’ ‘$6.5 Billion’ In Spending Cuts Actually $4.7 Billion,” ABC News, 3/8/11)

Instead, Senate Democrats Now Want To Put Tax Increases On Table. “Senate Democratic leaders, seeking to break an impasse over Republican-backed spending cuts, on Tuesday proposed broadening the scope of budget negotiations into more politically volatile terrain that includes taxes, subsidies and entitlement programs.” (Janet Hook, “Democrats Raise Stakes On Budget,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/9/11)

• Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) Said “Tax Policy” Should Be Part Of Debate In Bridging $50 Gap With GOP Proposal. “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said that efforts to bridge the parties' $50 billion difference in proposed budget cuts for the remainder of fiscal-year 2011 could reach beyond domestic discretionary spending and move into tax policy and programs such as farm subsidies. ‘There are other places we can move to bring about some cost savings,’ Mr. Reid said. ‘Domestic discretionary, defense, mandatories, revenues.’” (Janet Hook, “Democrats Raise Stakes On Budget,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/9/11)

AND WHAT SPENDING ARE DEMOCRATS TRYING TO PROTECT?

“COWBOY POETRY” FESTIVALS

Sen. Reid Said That The “Mean-Spirited” Funding Bill Passed By The House Would Eliminate Funding For Nevada’s Annual “Cowboy Poetry Festival.” REID: “The mean-spirited bill, H.R. 1, eliminates National Public Broadcasting. Now, that is really saying a lot, Madam President. It eliminates the National Endowment of the Humanities, National Endowment of the Arts. These programs create jobs. The National Endowment of the Humanities is in Nevada every January for a cowboy poetry festival. Had that program not been around, the tens of thousands of people who come there every year would not exist.” (Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Floor Remarks, 3/8/11)

• Watch Sen. Harry Reid’s Floor Remarks HERE.

BECAUSE DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO TAKE THE DEFICIT SERIOUSLY

CBS News’ Chip Reid: “President Obama Said He'd Take A Scalpel To The Budget Instead Of A Machete. So Far, Though, He Appears To Be Wielding A Butter Knife - Trimming Little More Than Soft Edges.” (Chip Reid, “Forget The Machete, Or The Scalpel: Obama Takes A Butter Knife To The Budget,” CBS News, 3/4/11)

• Democrats Are Only Meeting Republicans “One-Sixth Of The Way” On Budget Cuts. “Without that imaginary $40.8 billion, the real numbers are Democrats: $10.5 billion; Republicans: $61.5 billion. So Democrats are meeting them one-sixth of the way.” (Chip Reid, “Forget The Machete, Or The Scalpel: Obama Takes A Butter Knife To The Budget,” CBS News, 3/4/11)

The President’s Proposed “New” Budget Cuts Are Items Obama Has Already Proposed. “At first glance, this list [of the president’s budget cuts] gives the appearance that they're busy trimming newly-found lard. In fact, though, all of these items are ALREADY in the president's 2011 or 2012 budgets. Nothing new here.” (Chip Reid, “Forget The Machete, Or The Scalpel: Obama Takes A Butter Knife To The Budget,” CBS News, 3/4/11)

• Or Earmarks He Has Already Pledged To Eliminate. “Many of the other ‘new’ cuts are essentially ’earmarks’ -- specially-targeted spending that the president has already vowed to eliminate.” (Chip Reid, “Forget The Machete, Or The Scalpel: Obama Takes A Butter Knife To The Budget,” CBS News, 3/4/11)

One Program The President Proposed Eliminating Was Already Cut By Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) Last Year. “And then there's a cut of $280 million for the cancellation of the ‘ARC Tunnel.’ What's that? It's the ‘Access to the Region's Core’ commuter tunnel that was supposed to be built under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and Manhattan. But it was already cancelled -- last year -- by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.” (Chip Reid, “Forget The Machete, Or The Scalpel: Obama Takes A Butter Knife To The Budget,” CBS News, 3/4/11)

The Washington Post Notes That Democrats Have "Done Little To Engage Republicans" And Cannot Claim That They Have Met Republicans "Halfway" On Spending Cuts.  "The Democrats' posturing that they have met Republicans 'halfway' on budget cuts does them no credit. Either they should take a stand and say they won't accept any further cuts, or they should begin a real negotiation that leads to a higher number. Obama signaled he was willing to deal when he said he was 'prepared to do more.' But the persistent claims of going 'halfway' when in fact Democrats have done little to engage Republicans on the issue will only hurt their credibility in the long run. Three Pinocchios." (Glenn Kessler, "Obama And The White House's 'Halfway' Fixation With The Budget," The Washington Post's "The Fact Checker" Blog, 3/8/11)