{"id":7859,"date":"2015-03-03T04:05:27","date_gmt":"2015-03-03T08:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ncdata.wpengine.com\/?p=7859"},"modified":"2017-09-18T17:17:48","modified_gmt":"2017-09-18T21:17:48","slug":"republicans-usually-ask-for-higher-spending-during-members-day-this-year-some-called-for-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2015\/03\/03\/republicans-usually-ask-for-higher-spending-during-members-day-this-year-some-called-for-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans Usually Ask for Higher Spending During “Members’ Day.” This Year, Some Called for Cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

I worked for the House of Representatives from 2007-2008. \u00a0While there, I attended the 2008 \u201cMembers\u2019 Day\u201d hearing at the House Budget Committee.<\/p>\n

Members\u2019 Day is when the Budget Committee gives representatives a chance to testify about their own priorities for the federal budget. \u00a0While the hearing usually lasts somewhere between four to six hours, in 2008 45 minutes was all I could stand. \u00a0I watched the rest back at the office. \u00a0(It can be viewed on Youtube here<\/a>.) Without exception, the Democrats testified in favor of either protecting various federal programs from cuts or spending more on them. \u00a0But the few Republicans who also testified did largely the same. \u00a0Very dispiriting.<\/p>\n

I tuned in via the internet to this year\u2019s hearing<\/a> expecting much the same. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to see some Republicans, and even one Democrat, dash my low expectations!<\/p>\n

\"Inchbyinch2\"The two best testimonies came from Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and David Schweikert (R-CA.) \u00a0Goodlatte testified about the need for a balanced budget amendment and an overhaul of the tax code. \u00a0Schweikert talked about\u00a0administrative changes that the federal government could make to save money. \u00a0For example, he said if three federal employees working in three different agencies need to take a trip to Richmond, Va. on the same day, why do they each take a separate government vehicle? \u00a0He claimed \u201cthere\u2019s an app for that\u201d which allows agencies to coordinate such things. \u00a0Schweikert\u00a0said the federal government is way behind the private sector on that (no kidding!)<\/p>\n

Rep. Rich Nugent (R-FL) disappointed by calling for the spending cap to be lifted on defense spending. \u00a0Not the worst thing in the world, but I\u2019m the type of conservative who thinks budget savings need to be found in all areas. \u00a0However, Nugent recovered a bit when he did say that spending cuts were necessary, although he did not talk about specifics.<\/p>\n

The biggest disappointment came from Rep. Mia Love (R-UT). \u00a0She argued against cuts in the Obama\u00a0Administration\u2019s budget for a water project in Utah. \u00a0Utah is experiencing a drought, she claimed, and Utah will pay 35 percent of the cost of the project. \u00a0Supposedly Utah will have to pay back the federal government the rest of the funding over time, although you can be sure it\u2019s at a cushy interest rate that you have no hope of getting in the private sector. Not the worst thing in the world to defend from spending cuts, but since Love has been routinely touted as one of the big up-and-comers, her testimony was a let down.<\/p>\n

The most promising start came from Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV). \u00a0He first called for \u201cdefunding overreaching agencies,\u201d and he specifically mentioned the Legal Services Corporation. \u00a0(To learn more about why we should get rid of the LSG, go here<\/a> and here<\/a>.) \u00a0He next\u00a0asked for the Environmental Protection Agency to back off ozone regulations that are threatening coal-fired power plants.<\/p>\n

To use a basketball analogy, Mooney had just nailed two three-point shots with nothing but net. \u00a0His third attempt was eagerly awaited.<\/p>\n

He then talked about the need to fund federal mine-closing services because such services are beneficial to the communities near a closed mine.<\/p>\n

AIRBALL!!!<\/p>\n

But then a Democrat member of the Budget Committee, Donald Norcross (D-NJ), made a save. \u00a0He questioned Mooney as to why closed mines were not the responsibility of the companies that owned them. \u00a0Mooney didn\u2019t have a good response.<\/p>\n

There are two lessons we can take from last week\u2019s Members\u2019 Day hearing. \u00a0The first is how much progress the center-right has made in recent years. \u00a0Back in 2008, it was almost unthinkable that Republicans would argue for spending cuts during Members\u2019 Day. \u00a0That some now do shows how much Tea Party organizations and other conservative and libertarian groups have made in pushing the GOP in the right direction on the issue of spending.<\/p>\n

The second lesson is how far we have to go. \u00a0Only two Republicans espousing unadulterated conservative\/libertarian positions on the budget is not enough. \u00a0We\u2019ll know that we\u2019re getting close to our destination when (1) a lot of GOP members testify during Members\u2019 Day about the need for spending cuts and each one singles out a specific agency for elimination, and (2) a few Democrats do the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I worked for the House of Representatives from 2007-2008. \u00a0While there, I attended the 2008 \u201cMembers\u2019 Day\u201d hearing at the House Budget Committee. Members\u2019 Day is when the Budget Committee gives representatives a chance to testify about their own priorities for the federal budget. \u00a0While…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,74],"tags":[77],"yoast_head":"\nRepublicans Usually Ask for Higher Spending During "Members' Day." 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