Democrat priorities. As if the last 20 months haven’t been enough for the American people, this is just more incentive in November to vote the Democrats out. Because Medicare has been looted for decades, Democrats must now turn to the food stamp program for funds, while touting that this unpopular teacher bailout will not add to the deficit.
Via Fox:
Some House Democrats and advocacy groups are getting squeamish about the move to fund the $26 billion state aid bill by making cuts to food stamps, a federal assistance program currently depended on by nearly 41 million Americans.
[snip]
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, the number of people on the food stamp rolls has been growing to record levels for 18 straight months. Nearly $5.5 billion in aid went out to beneficiaries in May alone. The number of May recipients marked a 19 percent increase from a year ago and the USDA projects that next year’s enrollment will reach about 43.4 million.
The Obama administration has pushed hard for the $26 billion bill. The White House argued that it is essential to protecting 300,000 teachers and other nonfederal government workers from election-year layoffs and will not add to the national deficit.
[snip]
“This proposal is fully paid for, in part by closing loopholes that encourage corporations that ships American jobs overseas. So it will not add to our deficit,” he said. “And the money will only go toward saving the jobs of teachers and other essential professionals…I urge members of both parties to come together and get this done, so that I can sign this bill into law.” emphasis mine
Same old rhetoric from Obama–punishing businesses–so it’s all ok. States wouldn’t want to follow New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s lead, would they? If the states could find the cuts, they wouldn’t need to pillage the American taxpayer, and then they wouldn’t need a bailout. California is broke, yet their teachers are the highest paid in the nation. So, private sector greed is bad, but public sector (taxpayer funded–as in, you are taking your neighbor’s hard-earned money) greed is good?
Everyone knows that what the Democrats passed is another bailout–but, while the Democrats help their teacher base and spin that it’s for the children during this election season, another segment of the Democrat base will eventually suffer–the poor and families on food stamps. How will they explain that away? Additionally, the military and other departments and programs will be hit hard as a result of this legislation.
Below is the list of budgetary rescissions compliments of the new “fiscal hawks” in Congress. It’s interesting how Democrats can find budget cuts and have no problem hurting the poor, working families, middle class, defense, and military, when it benefits the teachers and the unions on the US taxpayer’s dime.
If the Democrats are so willing to make these cuts (some permanent), reallocate appropriated funds, and rescind funds from the original stimulus bill of 2009 to meet the pay-go requirement, then why did they use unemployed Americans as political pawns in June when a deficit neutral unemployment bill was introduced and reported here on Big Government? They could have fast-tracked that bill so that millions of unemployed Americans could have continued to receive benefits without a break–all in a bipartisan manner.
The list is long, but it is important to read in full (also in pdf) to really see what the Democrats have done in order to help the teachers. I have highlighted some interesting ones in bold. Here we go:
TITLE III
RESCISSIONS
”Department of Agriculture–Rural Development”, $122,000,000, to be derived from the unobligated balances of funds that were provided for such accounts in prior appropriation Acts (other than Public Law 111-5) and that were designated by the Congress in such Acts as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent H. R. 1586–16 resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Commerce–National Telecommunications and Information
Administration–Broadband Technology Opportunities Program” in title II of division A of Public Law 111-5, $302,000,000 are rescinded.
Appropriations Acts, the following funds are rescinded from the following accounts in the specified amounts:
”Aircraft Procurement, Army, 2008/2010”, $21,000,000;
”Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army, 2008/2010”, $21,000,000;
”Procurement of Ammunition, Army, 2008/2010”, $17,000,000;
”Other Procurement, Army, 2008/2010”, $75,000,000;
”Weapons Procurement, Navy, 2008/2010”, $26,000,000;
”Other Procurement, Navy, 2008/2010”, $42,000,000;
”Procurement, Marine Corps, 2008/2010”, $13,000,000;
”Aircraft Procurement, Air Force, 2008/2010”, $102,000,000;
”Missile Procurement, Air Force, 2008/2010”, $28,000,000;
”Procurement of Ammunition, Air Force, 2008/2010”, $7,000,000;
”Other Procurement, Air Force, 2008/2010”, $130,000,000;
”Procurement, Defense-Wide, 2008/2010”, $33,000,000;
”Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, 2009/2010”, $76,000,000;
”Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force, 2009/2010”, $164,000,000;
”Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, 2009/2010”, $137,000,000;
”Operation, Test and Evaluation, Defense, 2009/2010”, $1,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Army, 2010”, $154,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Navy, 2010”, $155,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps, 2010”, $25,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Air Force, 2010”, $155,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide, 2010”, $126,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve, 2010”, $12,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve, 2010”, $6,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve, 2010”, $1,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve, 2010”, $14,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard, 2010”, $28,000,000; and
”Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard, 2010”, $27,000,000.
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), the H. R. 1586–17 following funds are rescinded from the following accounts in the specified amounts:
”Operation and Maintenance, Army, 2009/2010”, $113,500,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Navy, 2009/2010”, $34,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps, 2009/2010”, $7,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Air Force, 2009/2010”, $61,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve, 2009/2010”, $3,500,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve, 2009/2010”, $8,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve, 2009/2010”, $1,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve, 2009/2010”, $2,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard, 2009/2010”, $1,000,000;
”Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard, 2009/2010”, $2,500,000; and
”Defense Health Program, 2009/2010”, $27,000,000.
(b) Of the funds appropriated in the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252), the following funds are rescinded from the following account in the specified amount:
”Procurement, Marine Corps, 2009/2011”, $122,000,000.
Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army in title III of division A of public Law 111-118, $116,000,000 are rescinded.
(b) Of the funds appropriated for ”Other Procurement, Army” in title III of division C of Public Law 110-329, $87,000,000 are rescinded. The specified accounts:
(1) $20,000,000, to be derived from unobligated balances of funds made available in prior appropriations Acts under the heading ”Department of Energy–Nuclear Energy”.
The heading ”Nuclear Regulatory Commission” in prior appropriations Acts, $18,000,000 is permanently rescinded.
Energy–Title 17–Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program in title III of division A of Public Law 111-5, $1,500,000,000 are rescinded.
Administration–Real Property Activities–Federal Building Fund, $75,000,000 from Rental of Space and $25,000,000 from Building Operations, to be derived from unobligated balances that were provided in previous appropriations Acts.
Affairs–Indian Guaranteed Loan Program Account in title VII of division A of Public Law 111-5, $6,820,000 are rescinded.
Protection Agency–Hazardous Substance Superfund in title VII of division A of Public Law 111-5, $2,600,000 are rescinded.
Protection Agency–Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program in title VII of division A of Public Law 111-5, $9,200,000 are rescinded.
VII of division A of Public Law 111-5, ”Environmental Protection Agency–Environmental Programs and Management”, $10,000,000 are rescinded.
Service–Construction” in chapter 7 of division B of Public Law 108-324, $4,800,000 are rescinded.
Service–Construction” in chapter 5 of title II of Public Law 109-234, $6,400,000 are rescinded.
Service–Construction” in chapter 6 of title I of division B of Public Law 110-329, $3,000,000 are rescinded.
The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1995 (Public Law 103-333; 108 Stat. 2574) under the heading ”Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund” is rescinded.
of Social Security under section 2201(e)(2)(B) in title II of division B of Public Law 111-5, $47,000,000 are rescinded.
I of title II of division B of Public Law 111-5, $110,000,000 are rescinded, to be derived only from the amount provided under section 1899K(b) of such title.
Education for the Disadvantaged in division D of Public Law 111-117, $50,000,000 are rescinded, to be derived only from the amount provided for a comprehensive literacy development and education program under section 1502 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
Student Aid Administration in division D of Public Law 111-117, $82,000,000 are rescinded.
Innovation and Improvement” in division D of Public Law 111-117, $10,700,000 are rescinded, to be derived only from the amount provided to carry out subpart 8 of part D of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
of Defense, Military Construction, Army from prior appropriations Acts, $340,000,000 is rescinded:
be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement or as appropriations for overseas deployments and other activities pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
of Defense, Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps from prior appropriations Acts, $110,000,000 is rescinded:
That no funds may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement or as appropriations for overseas deployments and other activities pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
of Defense, Military Construction, Air Force” from prior appropriations Acts, $50,000,000 is rescinded:
may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement or as appropriations for overseas
deployments and other activities pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Expenses account of the Department of Veterans Affairs in section 2201(e)(4)(A)(ii) of division B of Public Law 111-5 (123 Stat. 454; 26 U.S.C. 6428 note), $6,100,000 are rescinded.
by title X of division A of Public Law 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, under the heading ”Departmental Administration, Information Technology Systems” $5,000,000 is hereby rescinded.
unobligated balances available under the heading ”Millennium Challenge Corporation” in title III of division H of Public Law 111-8 and under such heading in prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs, $50,000,000 are rescinded.
(b) C
(1) D
available under the heading ”Department of State–Administration of Foreign Affairs–Civilian Stabilization Initiative” in prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs, $40,000,000 are rescinded.
(2) U
Of the unobligated balances available under the heading ”United States Agency for International Development–Funds Appropriated to the President–Civilian Stabilization
Initiative” in prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs, $30,000,000 are rescinded. The specified accounts:
(1) ”Department of Transportation–Federal Aviation Administration–Facilities and Equipment”, $2,182,544, to be derived from unobligated balances made available under this heading in Public Law 108-324.
(2) ”Department of Transportation–Federal Aviation Administration–Facilities and Equipment”, $5,705,750, to be derived from unobligated balances made available under this heading in Public Law 109-148.
to each State under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, $2,200,000,000 are permanently rescinded:
rescission shall be distributed among the States in the same proportion as the funds subject to such rescission were apportioned to the States for fiscal year 2009:
shall not apply to the funds distributed in accordance with sections 130(f) and 104(b)(5) of title 23, United States Code; sections 133(d)(1) and 163 of such title, as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of Public Law 109-59; and the first sentence of section 133(d)(3)(A) of such title:
section 1132 of Public Law 110-140, in administering the rescission required under this heading, the Secretary of Transportation shall allow each State to determine the amount of the required rescission to be drawn from the programs to which the rescission applies.
TITLE IV
[snip]
BUDGETARY PROVISIONS
of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled ”Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation” for this Act, jointly submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage in the House acting first on this conference report or amendment between the Houses.