Congress: Taking a Chainsaw to the Budget

The Republicans are at last in a position to propose their own budget. This comes after two years of anger at excessive spending under Barack Obama, who faced an abysmal deficit that was due in large part to George W. Bush’s tax cuts favoring his more wealthy friends. Americans are going to have a wake-up call. The House of Representatives is proposing $32 billion in budget cuts. But these cuts are not going to affect everyone in the same way.

They are primarily aimed at social programs, such as professional training for work integration, environmental conservation, health programs, such as the Community Health Centers, which allow those from the most modest of backgrounds to receive care, and also the National Institute of Health. There are also proposed cuts for crime prevention programs, even high speed trains, the FBI and air traffic controllers.

All of these programs have one thing in common (aside from the fact that GOP financial supporters will not be affected by these cuts, or will be affected in a positive manner, such as with the cuts aimed at the environment or water quality): the government’s role in these programs is essential. It is not the private sector that is going to replace the famous Center for Disease Control, for example.

These budget cuts are taking place at the wrong time and are affecting the wrong programs. They are also insufficient for the Republicans’ allies in the tea party, who have succeeded in twisting the GOP’s arm by demanding not $32 billion but $100 billion in cuts. Why $100 billion? Without a doubt the round number makes for a good slogan. The budget must be set before March 4, otherwise the government could be without work due to the purely demagogic demands of the Republicans.

It is time for Democrats and the White House to stake a stand against these budget cuts and make it known that the health and even social fabric of the nation are at stake.