“Time is up” says Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor. No more continuing resolutions (CRs), no more excuses.
The leader’s comments are important on two fronts. Cantor, as majority leader, controls the pacing of legislation on the House floor and will decide the scheduling of any future CR to keep the government operating after the current resolution expires April 8. Second, and perhaps more important politically, his comments risk undercutting efforts by the speaker’s office to bridge the differences with Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama.
As approved Feb. 19, the House-passed package of spending cuts proposed to reduce nonemergency appropriations this year to $1.026 trillion, about $102 billion below Obama’s initial budget requests for 2011 and $61.3 billion below the rate of spending under a CR that expired March 4.
In the weeks since, Congress has enacted two more stopgap bills to avert a shutdown, the second of which will expire next Friday. In each case, savings have been included that would be a $10 billion down payment toward what both sides hope will be a final deal soon. But tea party conservatives have grown restless, and when 54 Republicans broke ranks, Boehner had to rely on Democrats to help pass the most recent CR.
Cantor was loyal to the speaker in that fight, but as the pressure from tea party activists has increased since, he has been watched carefully by Democrats who accuse him of making it harder for Boehner to reach a deal with the White House.
Now’s the time to double down. It’s time to have an honest conversation about whether America is willing to fund a $1.6 trillion spending gap and $70 trillion in entitlement spending.
It’s time. April 8th is coming fast. Tea Party, conservatives, libertarians, classical liberals, every pitchfork and every torch you have.
Its time for the fair weather conservatives to put up… or shut up. If you find someone bashing Cantor, tell them to can it. If you find someone playing apologist for the government, tell them they have run out of our money. If you find someone undecided, it’s time to evangelize and make free-market disciples.
Most of all — this Congress needs to know that $61 billion in cuts isn’t enough. We want the FULL $1.6 trillion — not in the future, not up for discussion, but NOW — on the table, starting with the $500 billion in cuts proposed by Senator Rand Paul and working forward from there.
Time for leadership folks. You either sit up, or you stand down… we’re going to find out what folks are made of real quick.
It’s on, fellas.
