Modbert
Daydream Believer
- Sep 2, 2008
- 33,178
- 3,055
- 48
Budget compromise will cut education and science research, but not defense - National Political Buzz | Examiner.com
I said it before and I'll say it again. Those who want to have a discussion about the budget but are unwilling to cut the defense budget cannot be taken seriously.
Congressional leaders from the Democratic and Republican parties are still attempting to negotiate a compromise on the federal budget that would avert a government shutdown this Friday. According to various reports, the current compromise cuts about $33 billion from the federal budget, though the Republicans claim that they are demanding even more. The current cuts will come from a large number of federal programs, including the National Institute for Health and Department of Education. However, there is one massive federal program that will actually receive a funding increase. Despite an agreement by the Pentagon to accept defense cuts, Republicans are actually planning on giving $6 billion more the Department of Defense.
In their defense the Republicans are not the only ones proposing an increase in defense spending. Last year the United States spent $508 billion on defense. In their proposed budget, the Obama administration proposed increasing funding by $5 billion to $513 billion. When Republican demanded cuts be made to the federal budget Senate Democrats came forward with a package that included $10 billion in cuts to defense spending. That proposal was “immediately” rejected according to Sam Stein of The Huffington Post. Now Republicans are demanding that $514 billion be spent on defense, a $1 billion raise over the Obama budget proposal, even while the GOP demands more cuts to other programs.
I said it before and I'll say it again. Those who want to have a discussion about the budget but are unwilling to cut the defense budget cannot be taken seriously.