In push to cut spending, U.S. House spares itself

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

In push to cut spending, U.S. House spares itself

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON | Fri Jun 8, 2012 5:27pm EDT

(Reuters) - After seeking to impose substantial spending cuts on a wide range of non-defense programs this year, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted to keep its own administrative budget unchanged.

House lawmakers then left Washington for a week-long recess.

The $1.23 billion budget for fiscal 2013 House operations - including staff salaries, member expenses and committee budgets - was approved on a 307-102 vote as part of a $3.33 billion spending bill for the legislative branch of the federal government.

The House portion of the budget was kept unchanged after being cut the two previous fiscal years, marking a 10.5 percent reduction since 2010.

The House has voted to make deep cuts to a number of social programs, such as food stamps and the Medicaid health care program for the poor, in order to protect defense spending from automatic spending cuts. The House has approved, on average, cuts of around 5 percent to federal agency budgets and other discretionary spending from last year.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/08/us-usa-congress-budget-idUSBRE8571D020120608

[bluedigger]

1. Well, they are a tremendous value, after all.

Quality legislatin' don't come cheap.

[rhett o rick]

12. True but we should make their "Masters" pay. nm

[BeyondGeography]

2. I hear they have great health care and pension deals too

[Volaris]

3. I'm of the opinion that running a technically efficient modern Government the size of ours

is GOING to cost a decent sum of money for things like necessary travel, staff budgets, etc., and it's not a cost that generally I would bitch about...but I want that government doing USEFUL THINGS with the resources we give it to operate. Paying a complete Congressional staff to find new and creative ways to OBSTRUCT meaningful legislative endeavors is a waste of resources, because Congressman (especially THIS batch) have proven quite adept at that obstruction on their own, it seems.

[AllyCat]

5. Righte-o!

[freshwest]

6. I second that!

[lunatica]

10. I wish we could have a say in how our taxes are allocated too

Not one damn cent would go towards military spending and I sure as hell wouldn't agree to the raises they give themselves. I get the other spending, but they should know up front that the job isn't about how rich they can get, but how well they can run the government for by and of the people.

[Volaris]

16. If we want them to stop giving themselves raises,

you just need a law that ties that Congressional salary increase to a rise in the Federal minimum wage, at the same %age. It will happen by THEIR idea ONCE, and then business interests will cut off the cash flow, and it will NEVER happen of their own volition again lol.

[lib2DaBone]

20. Wow.. that is a great idea!

Tie Congressional pay raises to raises in the minimum wage.. if the worker bees prosper.. we all prosper.

[Volaris]

26. Yep. I like to think of it as the OPPOSITE of "I got mine, so fuck yours"...

When the REST OF US get what's ours, we will be sure to include you, "the elites" in that equation. That's just how us little people like to roll heehee.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. Government is bad...except when it pays our salaries, healthcare, travel and housing...

Is there any bigger welfare system than that of the U.S. Congress?

[Autumn]

19. These are the true welfare queens.

Here I thought old ronnie was full of shit and just pulled that phrase out of his ass.

[awoke_in_2003]

7. House, senate, whatever...

They are all no good assholes

[Heather4]

8. Spam deleted by Morning Dew (MIR Team)

[knitter4democracy]

9. Is anyone else reminded of the fall of Rome in this story?

It sure sounds like we're on the downward slide here.

[may3rd]

11. Thats why they get paid the big bucks

and yet, they still spend 2/3 'rd of their time in office looking for a deep pocket lobbyist to donate to their re election campaign.
go figger
That's why those C-SPan shots of daily floor business are so cropped.
Nobody is in their seat.

aaahhhhh, yes

[lsewpershad]

13. Bunch of jokers

Why do we need these creeps?

[4th law of robotics]

14. Funny how Congressional pay has a built in COLA

but the minimum wage does not.

I guess the cost of living only increases yearly for people earning above a certain amount.

[boppers]

21. Link please?

[tammywammy]

22. Congress gets an automatic COLA unless they vote against it.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/raise4congress.htm

[boppers]

25. Lame.

Thanks for the link.

[4th law of robotics]

24. What tammy said

they can vote to abstain but it is automatic if they don't specifically vote against it.

I would think that a minimum wage should have the same basic mechanism built in: automatic adjustments unless congress specifically votes it down by a majority.

[KansDem]

15. Remember, it's "austerity"...not "allsterity"

You don't expect everybody to sacrifice, do you?

[xxqqqzme]

17. Another week long recess

after doing nothing. Guess obstructing and meeting/lunch/dinner/partying on the corporate dime is hard work.

My congress idiot, though representing a district in SoCal, will just go home to Virginia.

[L0oniX]

18. Ya'll didn't expect this to go any other way did ya?

[raindaddy]

23. Something Every Good Capitalist Knows

Eliminate the middle man! They've become a symbol, an unnecessary frill. And they're a drain on the economy. Most of em let the lobbyists write their legislation anyway, very few represent us anymore. None of the Republicans do. Might as well give the taxpayer a break and just let Wall Street and the Corporations pay for their reps.