White House, Congressional Republicans play sequestration blame game
February 08, 2013 | 07:31 PM
The White House today urged Congress to develop a plan to avoid sequestration taking place on March 1, while House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called it “Obama’s sequester” and said Republicans are waiting for President Barack Obama to come up with a plan.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats appeared to be working on a sequester plan that would include cutting the $4.9 billion in direct payments that crop farmers get whether prices are high or low.
“There is no question that we need to cut the deficit, but the president believes it should be done in a balanced way that protects investments that the middle class relies on,” the White House said in a fact sheet detailing cuts to domestic programs.
“The president believes we can not only avoid the harmful effects of a sequester but also reduce the deficit by $4 trillion total by cutting even more wasteful spending and eliminating tax loopholes for the wealthy,” the fact sheet continued.
“Unfortunately, many Republicans in Congress refuse to ask the wealthy to pay a little more by closing tax loopholes so that we can protect investments that are helping grow our economy and keep our country safe,” the White House said.
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio
Boehner released a statement on the report .
“Republicans agree the sequester is the wrong way to cut spending, and agree the consequences are harmful,” Boehner said.
The Republican House, he noted, has twice passed legislation that would replace the sequester with other cuts and changes to federal law. The president, Boehner said, “is out of excuses.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats were working on a plan to soften the sequestration with a roughly 50-50 blend of taxes and spending cuts, Politico reported Thursday. That proposal would include cutting or eliminating the direct payments, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., confirmed to Politico.
“I would prefer obviously to do it in the context of the farm bill but I cannot defend direct payments,” she told Politico, but added that if the direct payments are cut the Agriculture committee will be credited with the savings, which could be important in the writing of a new farm bill.
“Whatever is done has to be agriculture’s contribution to deficit reduction,” Stabenow said, according to the Politico report.
The direct payments were extended for one year in the “fiscal cliff” farm bill extension, and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has said he expects the direct payments for fiscal year 2013 to be made.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a sign-up for the program, but he also said this week that he fears Congress may cut the direct payments as part of a sequestration deal, and noted that such a cut would reduce budget authority for rewriting the farm bill.
Politico — Sequestration: Farm subsidies on the table
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats appeared to be working on a sequester plan that would include cutting the $4.9 billion in direct payments that crop farmers get whether prices are high or low.
“There is no question that we need to cut the deficit, but the president believes it should be done in a balanced way that protects investments that the middle class relies on,” the White House said in a fact sheet detailing cuts to domestic programs.
“The president believes we can not only avoid the harmful effects of a sequester but also reduce the deficit by $4 trillion total by cutting even more wasteful spending and eliminating tax loopholes for the wealthy,” the fact sheet continued.
“Unfortunately, many Republicans in Congress refuse to ask the wealthy to pay a little more by closing tax loopholes so that we can protect investments that are helping grow our economy and keep our country safe,” the White House said.
Boehner released a statement on the report .
“Republicans agree the sequester is the wrong way to cut spending, and agree the consequences are harmful,” Boehner said.
The Republican House, he noted, has twice passed legislation that would replace the sequester with other cuts and changes to federal law. The president, Boehner said, “is out of excuses.”
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats were working on a plan to soften the sequestration with a roughly 50-50 blend of taxes and spending cuts, Politico reported Thursday. That proposal would include cutting or eliminating the direct payments, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., confirmed to Politico.
“I would prefer obviously to do it in the context of the farm bill but I cannot defend direct payments,” she told Politico, but added that if the direct payments are cut the Agriculture committee will be credited with the savings, which could be important in the writing of a new farm bill.
“Whatever is done has to be agriculture’s contribution to deficit reduction,” Stabenow said, according to the Politico report.
The direct payments were extended for one year in the “fiscal cliff” farm bill extension, and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has said he expects the direct payments for fiscal year 2013 to be made.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a sign-up for the program, but he also said this week that he fears Congress may cut the direct payments as part of a sequestration deal, and noted that such a cut would reduce budget authority for rewriting the farm bill.
Politico — Sequestration: Farm subsidies on the table
