Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

SUN EDITORIAL:

Budget problems brewing

With Republicans split on spending, Boehner should work with Democrats

Congress last week passed another short-term spending bill that will allow the federal government to continue operating for the next three weeks. It is the sixth such bill since the fiscal year started in October because a split Congress hasn’t been able to agree on a full spending plan.

The short-term budget bill, known as a continuing resolution, pushed off an imposing government shutdown, which would have started this weekend. But it only leaves the larger problem over the budget looming.

Since taking control of the House of Representatives, Republicans have tried to flex their muscle by demanding major spending cuts this year that would gut the federal budget. Pushed by rabid Tea Party supporters, they say drastic cuts are necessary because of the national deficit.

Democrats have tried to work with the Republicans to make realistic budget cuts to address spending. The most recent continuing resolution cut $6 billion from the federal budget. Combined with the previous resolution, Congress has cut

$10 billion over the past few weeks.

“That sets a record,” Republican Rep. Harold Rogers of Kentucky, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said. “That has never been done before in this body.”

Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona praised Congress’ action, saying the cuts would add up to $140 billion in savings over the next decade.

But that’s not good enough for the disgruntled Republicans in the House. Although the latest spending bill was supported by House Speaker John Boehner, 54 Republicans, including Nevada Rep. Dean Heller, voted against it.

Republicans are divided between those who want to cut and those who want to cut severely, and that could cause problems as the White House and Congress try to negotiate the budget. As the National Journal reported, House Republican leadership has tried to rein in the Tea Party supporters in the caucus to little avail. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the House majority whip, challenged Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, one of the leading voices of the far right in the House, over Pence’s opposition to the continuing resolution.

“I’m voting to cut $6 billion,” McCarthy said. “How much are you voting to cut?”

Pence voted against the cut because he didn’t think the continuing resolution went far enough. Republicans pledged during the campaign to cut $100 million this year, and Pence and other Republicans are complaining that it’s not coming fast enough. They want drastic cuts now. And true to Tea Party form, they’re not interested in negotiating or finding common ground.

“It’s time to pick a fight,” Pence said.

Republicans shouldn’t push the nation down such a dangerous path. The costs are too high. If the Tea Party wins and the budget is gutted, it would do serious harm to the economic recovery. It would mean billions of dollars taken out of the economy and an untold number of job cuts.

The public is frustrated with the fighting in Congress that has stalled action. People want to see progress.

Democrats have worked with Republicans on the budget, as they have shown with the past two continuing resolutions. It took Democratic votes to get the most recent measure passed out of the House.

It’s time for Boehner to start working with the Democrats and finding a way to pass a reasonable budget — with or without the far right of his caucus.

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