Cantor Calls On House GOP To Avoid Government Shutdown Brinksmanship

[LetTimmySmoke]

Source: TPM

In a significant de-escalation of partisan brinksmanship on Capitol Hill, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is asking his members not to push for further cuts to discretionary spending in the wake of the debt limit agreement.

"While all of us would like to have seen a lower discretionary appropriations ceiling for the upcoming fiscal year, the debt limit agreement did set a level of spending that is a real cut from the current year level," Cantor wrote in a Wednesday memo to House Republicans. "I believe it is in our interest to enact into law full-year appropriations bills at this new lower level."

This essentially eliminates one of three potential impasses that, if not bridged, would lead to a government shutdown. The other two are specific appropriations -- which government programs should receive what level of funding -- and extraneous policy riders, meant to tie the Obama administrations hands at the helm of the executive branch.

Earlier this year, all three of those turned into points of contention. Republicans initially demanded an overall $100 billion cut to non-defense discretionary spending. They wanted those reductions to fall disproportionately on programs liberals and Democrats value. And they wanted all federal agency funding to be contingent on the White House agreeing to scores of legal and regulatory restrictions on their governing authority.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/cantor-calls-on-house-gop-to-avoid-government-shutdown-brinksmanship.php?ref=fpb

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I think several of Cantor's mommies gave him a scolding. Business execs don't like the uncertainty.

EDIT - A post on TPM said it better: "Cantor has already cashed out his short positions, now he's ready to go long."

[demosincebirth]

1. He must have got an ear full.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Well, after he and his RepubliBagger cronies screwed America's economic pooch

this summer, he deserves a big fat freaking earful.

[No Elephants]

5. No, the Rethugs simply remember how shutting down government backfired on them during Clinton's

administration. They're not suicidal.

[stubtoe]

14. Things that make you go "hmmmmm..." nt

[FarLeftFist]

3. They're just setting themselves up for more war spending for when they ever get power back.

They talk the talk but don't walk the walk. They LOVE to spend like drunken sailors.....Just not on our citizens.

[EC]

4. Wow, when I started reading I thought to myself

that TPM had printed on Onion article.

[ladjf]

6. Too little, too late Mr. Cantor. nt

[russspeakeasy]

7. Bullshit Mr. Cantor....

:evilgrin:

[Historic NY]

8. Too late Eric......

[dtexdem]

9. I guess someone came down on him hard, so now Cantor is singing to the choir.

;-)

[madamesilverspurs]

10. Uh huh.

So...one of the drivers of the cliffmobile is yelling at the folks in the back seat to take their feet off the accelerator. Nice try. Sorry, Erik, but we know what you did.

Here's hoping that Cantor will be spanked into irrelevancy.

And here's hoping that congress will finally start doing the work they are so handsomely paid to do.


-

[toddwv]

11. You can't trust a word that this asshat says.

You can pretty much guarantee that it is just a false-flag soundbite.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

12. Plausible deniability...

... for the election cycle. Now next year when they get hit on trying to break the USA, they will cite this statement and use it as, "proof", that they never made any threats to have the US default on anything or played any brinkmanship.

[stevedeshazer]

13. Hee hee hee.

HA HA HA

BWAAAHAHAHA

:rofl:

[MurrayDelph]

15. Maybe someone threatened him

with investigating the insider trading of him investing in a fund that bets against the country.

In the words of Elmer Fudd: "I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz."