Paygo is a joke

[Linda]

"In January, the Senate joined the House in passing "pay-as-you-go" rules to require Congress to pay for new discretionary spending. On Feb. 12, President Obama signed the bill. "Now Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else," Obama crowed.

Less than a month later, Obama and fellow Democrats are busily demonizing a lone senator for pushing Washington to spend responsibly. It seems this administration is all for fiscal restraint - as long as you don't mean it.

The story began last week when Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., blocked Senate passage of a bill to extend for one month unemployment and Cobra health insurance benefits, and other spending, because it did not comply with the paygo rule. As the Baseball Hall of Famer explained, "When 100 senators are for a bill, and we can't find $10 billion to pay for it, there's something the matter, seriously the matter, with this body." For that, he is Satan."

The senator who dared believe in 'paygo'

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

He is playing politics with the lives of over one million people whose unemployment he is blocking. I believe he is the epitome of whats wrong with our political system. The republicans aren't very happy with him either, this isn't a partisan issue.

Lone Republican Senator blocking a million-plus Americans from receiving unemployment benefits - Yahoo! News

 

[Lynnie]

I see both sides of this. It sounds like both parties want to work this out and propose to have this resolved within a couple of weeks, which is great news. The Senator made the point loud and clear.........how can we continue paying when we don't have the means and this is now a law that the President signed a couple of weeks ago?

It took courage to stand up. I don't see him as blocking an unemployment benefit, but trying to work through the gift of an extension......much needed extension, but it is an extension, regardless.

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

Lynnie you should watch the video of them holding a late night session trying to resolve this and Senator Bunning complaining that he is missing his ball game on tv. It puts him in perspective.

YouTube- "Tough s**t!" Senator Bunning To People Losing Unemployment Benefits

 

[Lynnie]

Yes. I listened to the news today about this. Maybe crass, but he's not the only Boob in DC.

 

[30ashopper]

A senator demanding congress pay it's bills rather than borrowing from China, the horror of it all! How dare he demand such a thing! Congress should be given the right to borrow until they're blue in the face, it's the American way!

 

[Linda]

A senator demanding congress pay it's bills rather than borrowing from China, the horror of it all! How dare he demand such a thing! Congress should be given the right to borrow until they're blue in the face, it's the American way!

Maybe more senators would stand on principle if they weren't running for re-election.

 

[Matt J]

Don't take it personally DTI if the tables were turned Margarita and 30Ashopper would be waiving the American Flag and preaching patriotism til the cows came home.

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

Don't take it personally DTI if the tables were turned Margarita and 30Ashopper would be waiving the American Flag and preaching patriotism til the cows came home.

I understand they are only looking at the aspect of not spending money we don't have. I was looking at the concept of families just getting by in hard times without jobs and not getting their unemployment check on time or at all because some douche wanted to play politics with their lives. There are times when political grandstanding is appropriate and effective. There are others where politics and partisanship should be put aside in recognition of the greater good.

 

[Linda]

I understand they are only looking at the aspect of not spending money we don't have. I was looking at the concept of families just getting by in hard times without jobs and not getting their unemployment check on time or at all because some douche wanted to play politics with their lives. There are times when political grandstanding is appropriate and effective. There are others where politics and partisanship should be put aside in recognition of the greater good.

The point of this thread was to highlight that Paygo is a joke - not to debate whether or not unemployment benefits should have been extended. "Bunning wasn’t objecting to extending benefits by $10 billion, he was objecting to how Democrats were willing to violate their own pay-go principles by refusing to offset the outlay right away."

I maintain that adhering to Paygo is for the greater good.