Thursday, April 14, 2011

Much Ado About Nothing

Today marks John Boehner’s 100th day as Speaker of the House.  It is also the day when the House will vote on Mr. Boehner’s most significant legislative accomplishment to date: a federal budget that trims $38 billion in cuts for the remainder of the fiscal year.  The measure is expected to pass….maybe.
The Congressional Budget Office has analyzed the details of this budget and has determined that it will in fact trim only $350 million this year.  $38 billion versus $300 million is a bit of a disparity.  When you are talking about an annual shortfall of $1.64 trillion either number is insignificant.
Tea Party members are outraged.  They don’t trust Boehner.  They already feel that Boehner and his negotiating team caved in on the $100 billion in cuts that Republicans promised.  To now learn that Boehner’s backroom deal will only reduce the deficit by $350 million has set their hair on fire.  They may revolt and vote “no’ today.  If they do it will be a serious setback for the Speaker and the Republican Party.
So this is the deal that threatened to shut down the government?   After all the partisan rhetoric, vitriol and angst the House MAY pass a budget bill that will actually reduce a $1.64 trillion dollar deficit by a paltry $350 million?  This is the monumental legislative achievement that prevented the complete shutdown of the federal government?  Seriously?
The system is broken and the people who run it are not serious people. 

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