SALON

Tuesday, Feb 19, 2013 5:45 PM UTC

THE RESET: Deal to delay spending cuts in doubt

By

Topics: From the Wires, ,

THE RESET: Deal to delay spending cuts in doubtPresident Barack Obama greets first responders after speaking in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office building on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, to urge Congress to come up with an alternative plan to avert automatic spending cuts set to kick in on March 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(Credit: AP)

Chances seem to be dwindling for a deal in time to avert deep, automatic government spending cuts from beginning on March 1. The Republican-controlled House remains at loggerheads with the Democratic-led Senate and President Barack Obama over key issues.

With no top-level talks under way and Congress off until next Monday, each side is blaming the other.

The so-called sequester cuts “won’t help the economy, won’t create jobs, will visit hardship on a whole lot of people,” Obama said Tuesday. “Congress didn’t come together, do their jobs. And so as a consequence we’ve got these automatic, brutal spending cuts that are poised to happen next Friday.”

Obama wants both more tax revenues and spending cuts.

Congressional Republicans oppose further tax hikes. “Just last month, the president got his higher taxes on the wealthy and he’s already back for more,” says Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

The scheduled cuts would trim roughly $85 billion from military and domestic spending in this budget year. Spending on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other “entitlement” programs would be spared.

One reason there’s little progress toward a deal is that there’s yet another deadline ahead— March 27, when a temporary budget agreement expires and Congress must scramble to find funds to run the entire government.

During those negotiations next month, the most damaging automatic sequester cuts could be repealed or softened, the thinking goes. That effectively buys more time. And lawmakers seldom miss chances to put things off.

Meanwhile, deficit hawks Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles are offering a new deficit-reduction plan they see as a possible compromise for Democrats and Republicans.

It combines rewriting the tax code — to eliminate many deductions — with deep spending cuts for some $2.4 trillion in deficit-reduction over 10 years.

Of the current impasse, “everybody’s at fault,” says Simpson, a Republican.

“Not only do we not have a long-range plan, we don’t even have a budget,” says Democrat Bowles. “We’re operating this country on a month-to-month basis.”

____

Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum

By Tom Raum

More By Tom Raum.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations