Nancy Pelosi: Yet another Washington hypocrite

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Nancy Pelosi is right to point out that the budget deficit is creating a 
legacy of debt. But like most politicians from both major parties, 
Pelosi is a hypocrite. She voted for some of the largest increases in 
spending for the last fiscal year (namely, Defense and Homeland Security 
budgets) that let the deficit spiral out of control:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2003/roll513.xml
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2003/roll515.xml
And of course she wanted to increase Congress' own budget (don't our 
hard-working officials deserve more aides?):
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2003/roll517.xml

It is the House of Representatives' job to keep spending under control. 
The president can only spend what the House gives him -- and Democrats, 
once they're bought off, are just as culpable as the Republicans.

Pelosi also is incorrect to argue that the tax cuts are "unaffordable" 
-- that might be true only if government spending could not be cut. It's 
a rare Democrat that would admit it, but that assumption is incorrect. 
Chris Edwards has identified $300 billion in programs (out of a $2.3 
trillion federal budget) that are ripe for removal and would result in a 
balanced budget *with* the tax cuts in place:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-515es.html

Of course his colleagues came out with a similar balanced budget idea 
back in 1993 and it hasn't exactly happened yet:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-194.html

The latest issue of Liberty Magazine has a provocative article by R.W. 
Bradford that was a response to one in the previous issue by Milton 
Friedman. Bradford demonstrates, I think convincingly, that the size of 
government grew the least under a Republican Congress and a Democratic 
White House than in any other combination in modern history.

Because Pelosi won't be speaker anytime soon, does that means it's time 
to start backing John Kerry for president?

-Declan





News From House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
H-204, The Capitol, Washington D.C. 20515

http://democraticleader.house.gov

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Contact: Brendan Daly 202-226-7616

Pelosi Statement on U.S. Reaching Debt Limit



Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued the 
following statement today in response to the announcement this morning 
by Treasury Secretary John Snow that that the statutory debt limit has 
been reached,  and the Bush Administration can avoid default only by 
resorting to extraordinary accounting measures:



“Today’s action is a shameful admission that the Bush Administration’s 
economic policies have failed the American people.  Under President 
Bush, our country has gone from a $5.6 trillion budget surplus to a 
record deficit of more than $3 trillion.  Overall, as the Bush 
Administration admitted today, our debt is a staggering $7.38 trillion.



“Due in large part to the failed economic policies developed by the 
Administration and enacted into law by Congressional Republicans, the 
debt limit now will have to be raised for the third time in three years. 
 The Republican leadership knew that the debt limit would be reached 
this month, but did not want an embarrassing vote on raising the debt 
ceiling until after next month’s election, so is now resorting to 
extraordinary accounting measures to avoid that vote.



“It’s time for the Bush Administration to wake up and admit reality. 
Unaffordable tax cuts for an elite few and billion-dollar tax breaks for 
companies that send American jobs overseas have not created jobs.  The 
President’s disastrous economic policies are just creating record 
deficits, higher interest rates, a drag on the economy, and a legacy of 
debt for our children.  It is time for a change.”



#  #  #
_______________________________________________
Politech mailing list
Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)