Boehner: Six Ways Spending Cut Agreement Undermines ObamaCare
By Shaun Kenney | Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 | Policy
Speaker John Boehner continues to push the pros of the current budget deal as a set up for Rep. Paul Ryan’s $5 trillion cuts. From his website today:
The spending cut agreement announced last week undermines the job-crushing health care law in at least six ways as Republicans continue to fight for its full repeal:
1. The spending cut agreement forces the Democratic-led Senate to hold an up-or-down vote on repealing the job-crushing health care law. This vote, observers say, “forces Democrats to defend the massive government expansion of control yet again.” The Senate vote is also being hailed as a “pro-life victory,” along with other pro-life protections included in the agreement.
2. The agreement requires the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s investigative watchdog, to conduct “a series of studies” regarding the job-crushing health care law’s impact on the economy, starting with an audit of the controversial waivers the Obama Administration has provided to unions and businesses. That audit will be due within 60 days once the agreement becomes law. Other audits will examine: (1) the premium impacts for individuals and families as a result of certain ObamaCare mandates; (2) what’s happening with the comparative effectiveness research funding in ObamaCare and the failed ‘stimulus’; and (3) all of the contractors who have been hired to implement the law and the costs to taxpayers of such contracts.
3. The Internal Revenue Service will have its budget frozen under the agreement, severely hampering its ability to enforce the job-crushing health care law. Right before Congress forced ObamaCare through last year, it was discovered that the IRS would need to undergo its largest expansion since World War II – including the addition of 16,500 new agents – in order to enforce the law’s tax hikes and mandates.
4. The agreement restricts the use of a controversial ObamaCare slush fund, the “Prevention and Public Health Fund,” which the Energy & Commerce Committee set its sights on after discovering that taxpayer dollars were being used at the sole discretion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
5. The agreement eliminates ObamaCare’s “Free Choice Vouchers” program, which employers and job creators opposed, according to The Hill , “out of concern that it could lead young, healthy workers to opt out of the employer plan, driving up costs for everybody else.”
6. The agreement slashes start-up funding for ObamaCare’s “Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan” (CO-OP) program, which has been called a “stealth public plan.” The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office warned that the co-ops wouldn’t work, saying they had “very little effect on the estimates of total enrollment in the exchanges or federal costs.”
BONUS. The spending cut agreement paves the way for Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) FY 2012 budget, “The Path to Prosperity,” which repeals the entire job-crushing health care law so we can replace it with common-sense reforms that lower costs and protect jobs.
With public support for ObamaCare dropping to its lowest level yet, this would be the second time in as many weeks Congress has chipped away at the job-crushing law: last week, the Senate passed H.R. 4, Pledge to America legislation repealing its 1099 small business mandate. As Speaker Boehner has said, “if the Senate won’t join us in passing a bill that repeals ObamaCare all at once, we will work to repeal it step-by-step.” The spending cut agreement continues this work. Read the full text of the spending cut legislation online here and learn more about it here.
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Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
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5 Responses to "Boehner: Six Ways Spending Cut Agreement Undermines ObamaCare"
It should be clear by now that any concessions that Dems agreed to in this budget deal were not remotely essential in their eyes. If the new “spending cuts” were all smoke and mirrors who would believe these actions listed above will be adhered to by the Dems or matter to them? The law doesn’t even take effect for the most part until 2013/14 anyway.
Here’s a list of all the programs cut or eliminated:
Agriculture Dept. – Office of the CIO
Agriculture Dept. – Building Operations and Maintenance
Agriculture Department Administration
National Agriculture Statistics Service
Agricultural Research Service – Salaries and Expenses
Nat’l Institute of Food and Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Agricultural Marketing Service
Farm Service Agency – Farm Assistance
Farm Service Agency – Agriculture Credit Insurance Fund
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Rural Development – Salaries and Expenses
Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program – loan subsidies
Rental Assistance Program
Renewable Energy Program
Rural Water Loan Subsidies and Grants
Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program Loans and Grants
WIC
Foreign Food Assistance and Related Programs
Wetlands Reserve
Conservation Stewardship
Environmental Quality Incentives
Fruit and Vegetable Program
Biomass Crop Assistance
Dairy Subsidy
International Trade Administration – Operations and Administration
Economic Development Assistance Programs
Periodic Census
NTIA – Public Telecommunication Facilities Planning
NIST – Scientific and Technical Research and Services
NIST – Technology Innovation Program
NIST – Construction
NOAA – Operations, Research, and Facilities
NOAA – Procurement, Acquisition and Construction
Herbert Hoover Building Renovation
National Drug Intelligence Center
Justice Information Sharing Technology
Tactical Law Enforcement Wireless Communication
Legal Activities – Salaries and Expenses
FBI – Construction
ATF – Construction
State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance
Weed and Seed Program Fund
Juvenile Justice Programs
COPS programs
DOJ – Salaries and Expenses (OJP, OVW, COPS)
NASA – Education
NASA – Cross Agency Support
NASA – Construction and Environmental Compliance
NSF – Research
NSF – Education and Human Resources
Payment to the Legal Services Corporation
Corps of Engineers – Investigations
Corps of Engineers – Construction
Corps of Engineers – Mississippi River and Tributaries
Corps of Engineers – Operations and Maintenance
Corps of Engineers – FUSRAP
Central Utah Project Completion Account
Bureau of Reclamation
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
Nuclear Energy
Fossil Energy Research and Development
Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Clean Coal Technology
Energy Information Administration
Non-defense Environmental Clean Up
Uranium Enrichment Decontamination Fund
Office of Science
Nuclear Waste Disposal
Innovative Loan Guarantees
Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loans
DoE Departmental Administration
DoE – Inspector General
NNSA – Office of the Administrator
Defense Environmental Clean Up
Other Defense Activities
Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal
Appalachian Regional Commission
Denali Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Treasury Department-Wide Systems and Capital Investments
Treasury Forfeiture Fund (Rescission)
Bureau of Public Dept
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
Financial Management Service
Partnership Fund for Program Integrity Innovation
Youth Media Campaign
Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center
Supreme Court Buildings and Grounds
Fees of Jurors
D.C. Courts
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority
D.C. Forensics Lab
D.C. Permanent Supportive Housing
D.C. Reconnecting Disconnected Youth
Election Assistance Grants
GSA Construction
GSA Repairs and Alterations
GSA Installment Payments
GSA Building Operations
GSA – Electronic Government
National Archives – Electronic Records Archive
National Archives – Grants
Office of Personnel Management
SBA – Disaster Loan Administrative Costs
SBA – Projects
U.S. Postal Service
DHS Departmental Management
CBP Automation Modernization (IT program)
CBP Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology
CBP Construction
ICE Automation Modernization (IT program)
TSA Aviation Security
TSA Headquarters and Administration
TSA other programs
Coast Guard Alteration of Bridges
National Protection and Programs Directorate
US-VISIT
FEMA First Responder Grants
FEMA Flood Map Modernization Fund
FEMA National Predisaster Mitigation Fund
FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter
US Citizenship & Immigration Services
Science & Technology
Bureau of Land Management
Fish and Wildlife Service
National Park Service
U.S. Geological Survey
Wildland Fire programs (Including FLAME)
National Forest System
Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
Geographic Programs
Eisenhower Commission
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Gallery of Art
National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs
Presidio Trust
Climate Change Programs (bill wide)
Land and Water Conservation Fund
Dislocated Worker Assistance
Youthbuild
Department of Labor – Demonstrations and Research
Green Jobs Innovation Fund
Career Pathways Innovation Fund
Community Service Employment for Older Americans
Community Health Care Centers
State Access Health Grants
Rural Health Programs
Health Care Related Facilities and Activities
Bureau of Health Professions
Title X Family Planning
Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
Public Health Scientific Services
Occupational Safety and Health
CDC – Buildings and Facilities
NIH – Buildings and Facilities
SAMSHA
Research on Health Costs Quality and Outcomes
LIHEAP – Contingency Fund
Community Block Grant Programs
Mentoring Children of Prisoners
Administration on Aging
Evenstart
Striving Readers
Literacy Through School Libraries
Educational Technology State Grants
State Assessments/Enhanced Assessment Instruments
National Writing Project
Teaching of Traditional American History
Fund for the Improvement of Education
Safe Schools and Citizenship Education
IDEA – Special Programs
Projects with Industry
Career Education
Adult Education
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants
LEAP
Aid for Institutional Development
International Education and Foreign Language
Fund for the Improvement for Post-Secondary Education
TRIO programs
GEAR UP
Byrd Honors Scholarships
Institute of Education Sciences
AmeriCorps
Learn and Serve America
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Institute of Museum and Library Services
U.S. Senate
U.S. House
Capitol Visitors Center (rescission)
Library of Congress
Department of Defense Military Construction
Veterans Affairs Information Technology
Veterans Affairs Construction (major and minor projects)
Veterans Affairs – State Grants – Extended Care Facilities
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Air Force Construction – Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)
State and Foreign Operations
Worldwide Security Protection
Capital Investment Fund
Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs
Embassy Security Construction and Maintenance
Worldwide Security Upgrades
Buying Power Maintenance Account
Contributions to the U.N. and International Organizations
International Commissions – Construction
Broadcasting Capital Improvements
U.S. Institute of Peace
USAID Operating Expenses
Civilian Stabilization Initiative
Foreign Assistance Administration – Capital Investment Fund
Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator
Economic Support Fund
Complex Crisis Fund
International Fund for Ireland
Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia
Peace Corps
Millennium Challenge Corporation
Debt Restructuring
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs (NADR)
Peacekeeping Operations (PKO)
International Organizations and Programs
International Development Association
International Clean Technology Fund
International Strategic Climate Fund
Asian Development Fund
Contribution to the African Development Fund
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Trade Development Agency
Transportation Planning, Research and Development
FAA – Facilities and Equipment
FAA- Research, Engineering and Development
Federal Highway Investment (General Fund)
Surface Transportation Priorities
Highway Rescission (Contract Authority)
Highway Rescission (Contract Authority – old earmarks)
Safety Belt Performance Grants
Railroad Safety Technology
Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program
Amtrak – Capital and Debt Service Grants
High Speed Rail
FTA – Energy Efficiency Grants
FTA – Capital Investment Grants
HUD – Personnel Compensation and Benefits
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers
Public Housing Operation Fund
HOPE IV
Public Housing Capital Fund
Native American Housing Block Grants
Community Development Fund
HOME Investment Partnerships
Brownfield Redevelopment
Housing Counseling Assistance
Energy Innovation Fund
Lead Hazard Reduction
Not a bad start…
Shaun,
You didn’t list which depts got phantom cuts and which got “real” cuts (that will matter not a hill of beans). Do you even see the irony in listing this crazy parade of known and unknown Fed depts not one of which was terminated? I would recommend you look up the percentage of funds these depts allocate in the last month of the fiscal year just to get it spent. I’m sure it’s 10 times the amount each got cut. BTW didn’t GAO issue a report a few months ago detailing several Hundred billion dollars of duplicative wasteful programs? Are any of those here? What percentage?
Shaun, sorry for the duplicate post, but this fits both threads. From AP/CBS:
“… Many of the cuts appear to have been cuts in name only, because they came from programs that had unspent funds. For example,
- $1.7 billion left over from the 2010 census;
- $3.5 billion in unused children’s health insurance funds;
- $2.2 billion in subsidies for health insurance co-ops (that’s something the president’s new health care law is going to fund anyway); and
- $2.5 billion from highway programs that can’t be spent because of restrictions set by other legislation. About
- $10 billion of the cuts comes from targeting appropriations accounts previously used by lawmakers for so-called earmarks – pet projects like highways, water projects, community development grants and new equipment for police and fire departments. Republicans had already engineered a ban on earmarks when taking back the House this year. Republicans also claimed
- $5 billion in savings by capping payments from a fund awarding compensation to crime victims. Under an arcane bookkeeping rule — used for years by appropriators — placing a cap on spending from the Justice Department crime victims fund allows lawmakers to claim the entire contents of the fund as “budget savings.” The savings are awarded year after year. …”
[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/12/earlyshow/main20053039.shtml]
Run a quick total … approx, $25 billion (of the $38 billion in “cuts”) were either unused/can’t use funds or accounting gimmicks. And total federal spending actually increases in FY2011 relative to FY2010 ~ appallingly bad negotiating performance by Speaker Boehner and GOP leadership.
Ahh Jay, no one cares. It’s the talking points that matter.
The real story this week was about the two Wall Street wives, who couldn’t buy a pair of shoes without help, opening a company to get a 225 million dollar loan to buy troubled assets. The kicker was they didn’t have to pay it back, losses on the assets they bought was socialized by the fed, and any profit was theirs alone.
I bet if they looked a little harder into that Fed database they would find a whole slew of companies under the Wall Street family name. But that don’t matter any more than the no fault, no crime, no fine settlement all the state AG’s are going to give the foreclosure fraudsters in the next week or so. Besides Cooch has more important things to do, like guns in Churches.
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