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Subscribe to RSSSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday that Republicans will not support more revenue-raising measures in future fights over the nation's deficit, saying that President Barack Obama should lead on addressing spending cuts alone.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell talks about the GOP's desired policy changes in negotiations with President Barack Obama over the debt ceiling.
"That's over," McConnell said on NBC's Meet the Press when asked about possible new streams of revenue through taxes or tax code reforms.
"We've resolved this issue," McConnell said. "We don't have this problem because we tax too little, we have it because we spend way, way too much. So we've settled the tax issue and now we have to address the single biggest threat to America's future, and that's our excessive spending."
McConnell helped broker an eleventh-hour deal to avert the fiscal cliff last week, a bill that included the expiration of Bush-era tax rates for some of the wealthiest Americans. On Sunday, McConnell defended that deal, opposed by many House Republicans despite an overwhelming bipartisan deal in the Senate.
"Look, this was not a tax increase," he said of the fiscal cliff agreement. "It was not the kind of complete deal we'd like because we want to cut spending but we did stabilize taxes. The tax issue's behind us."
McConnell did not answer repeated questions about whether or not he would use the threat of a government shutdown to force Democrats' hand on spending cuts.
"I know what your question is," he told host David Gregory. "What I'm telling you is I have not given up on the president stepping up to the plate and tackling the biggest issue confronting the country.
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How about the republicans pay for their presrciption plan, the two wars they took off the books, and all the corporate goodies they give their masters? Then they can talk about going after spending on those Democratic programs like Social Security and Medicare.
They were paid for by selling U.S. Treasuries and increasing the national debt. But Obama has exceeded Bush2 in terms of off-budget spending according to data posted by the Office of Management and Budget.
I'm glad I'm well off retired at 48 after a sucessful business and I also get a Pension and free VA healthcare,,
Thanks all,,even you righties. Lmao
Congress will try to take away your pension before they cut their own salaries or vote to abolish their own taxpayer funded pensions.
Excessive spending? Two wars fought, still fighting and not paid for, that excessive spending? And then the spending to care for the people sent to war, that spending? We can stop that spending, right?
There was a bill in the Senate to help veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was struck down because a group of Repubs refused to fund the bill because it would have required us to borrow One Billion dollars.
But they had no problem borrowing up to Three Trillion dollars to fund the wars in the first place. Infuriating, isn't it?
I read all these comments and I just think a lot of you folks are divorced from reality. This country was founded on principles of Capitalism and Free Enterprise. Jobs are created from people who have a good idea for a service or product, put their capital on the line and create a business. This creates opportunity for properity for a lot of other people in the form of jobs for employees who work for the owner of the business.
What has happened today is we have two problems: 1) The Federal Government has gotten too big and unsustainable which threatens the health of the private sectors. 2) We have too many leaches who are living off the welfare of the federal government in the form of Welfare and Food Stamps and other forms of entitlement.
I'm not suggesting people not get assistance at all. I'm saying that type of attitude in people is not sustainable. If you don't like your current circumstance, do something about it. Get a good education and be willing to develop skills that allow you to obtain a good job and support yourself. Quit depending on the Federal Government.
I think a lot of people who knock McConnell for wanting to cut spending are the leaches who want to keep getting their Welfare or Food Stamp check and want nothing of the responsibility to support themselves without the assistance of the Federal Government. Socialism has never worked and will never work and it is not what has made our country great.
@Noah, I think you are wrong about the people who knock McConnel are leaches. They are people, who most likely, lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Some of them are over 50 yrs old. NOBODY is hiring 50 + yrs old people, men or women.
You are correct that socialism didn't make our country, and neither did the brand of Facism that the GOP is try to bring upon us. Not only did the USA come very close to losing it's banks, and money, it also lost millions of jobs, shipped overseas, never to return.
Now talking about unemployment checks, stretched out for how many years? To most of those people benefiting from that, it is all they have, and try feeding your spouse, two kids (or more) and yourself on that amount.
I don't know what the answer is, but with the GOP trying to fail Obama, they have also failed most of the citizens. And the sad part, the GOPer's don't care. And neither does their base, unless it happens to them, then they are first in line for the handouts.
I agree in basic principle in what you're saying, but if generous tax-cuts for the wealthy create jobs, where did all the jobs go? Why have so many good jobs evaporated in the last 10 years (and not just during this present Great Recession)? Out-sourcing is one reason.
I agree we must cut spending, AND raise taxes. We can start by cutting Congressional salaries and perks, including their pensions and guaranteed cushy health care.
Noah-2406772,
If socialism has never worked for this country how do you explain the fact that the best years for this country were based on the "socialist" programs put in place by FDR. Those programs brought us out of the depression and gave all Americans a chance to build productive lives for their families - and for America as a whole.
SallyAnn,
What are the things you see the GOP trying to do that you think are Facist?
If Congress feels the US government is spending too much money then why do they ADD PORK to every spending bill. If they cut out the PORK they could easily balance the budget. They want to get reelected to a job with good pay and perks but that does nothing.
Noah,
It's not about spending, not when it comes to Mitch McConnell. It's about being an obstructionist. It's about saying his number one priority is to "make sure Barack Obama is a one term president."
McConnell has voted against legislation he previously endorsed. McConnell has voted against twenty year old Republican ideas only because Obama supported them.
So don't come on here and talk about the "leeches" and so forth. We heard this same nonsense during the past election campaign. And guess what? You lost.
But better put, your ideas lost. Mitch McConnell's ideas lost. The Tea Party ideas lost. Let's just say it, the Republican ideas of Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and Eric Cantor lost.
It's time to put country ahead of party.
Guys the uncertainty is why there aren't a lot of jobs out there. When I say leaches, I mean people who want to depend on the governement and suck out taxpayer money. There are some people who want to find a job and don't want that. The best thing anybody can do for someone is not to give them a handout. It's to create an environment where finding a full time job is easy.
We have a very uncertain environment and I'm sorry but it has been created by Barack Obama and the Dems in congress. They are creating an environment in which success if penalized and the well to do are looked down upon. Nobody trusts this administration so they are sitting on their cash.
Here is the thing: The rich will always be rich whether it is capitialism or socialism. It's the middle class and those that are in poverty that suffer in socialism because there isn't an environment in which the rich want to hire people. But there are a lot of those people that don't realize that by supporting Barack Obama they are ensuring themselves continued poverty and dependency on welfare.
I'm an Indie who leans center-left on most issues most of the time, and while I think many Republicans are hypocritical when it comes to debt and deficits, it's true that we need to cut spending AND raise taxes. Russia, by the way, now has a booming middle class, and guess what? Russia has a Flat 13% Income Tax Rate. 13% for everybody.
If the former hardcore communists can be so practical, why can't we alleged, no-nonsense, "practical" Americans do the same?
And spending cuts? At least symbolically, we can start by cutting Congressional salaries by 20%, and abolishing THEIR poshy/cushy health care, as well as their life pensions.
Congress gets the same benefits as other federal government employees.
Somewhat. Congressional perks are a bit more posh. Nonetheless, cut them all.
@Peter17, no they don't. Not one govt employee gets their full wages as a retirement benefit, and the elected crooks are eligible for that after serving for two terms (4 yrs). Nor do they get all the free passes ect to things like the crooks do.
I don't know who told you that, but they lied to you. Check it out, research in other words, see if your lying buddy is telling the truth or not.
SallyAnn
http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid=%270E%2C*PLC8%22%40%20%20%0A
Maybe you should do your own research and quit guzzling the Kool-Aid or quit eating so many crackers.
Why does this country have to be the leading force to police the world? We have enough problems here at home that are getting out of hand. I was always taught that I should keep my house clean and let the neighbors worry about their own. Why? How many troops do the other countries send into the mess in the Middle East. Why do we have to be the peace keepers of the world. If the middle east want to fight then let them fight. Winner take all. Set up a boycott to prevent anything in or out. If we have to give up some of our things, like gasoline used for pleasure then so be it. If we have oil that we can export, stop exporting and use it here. The middle East has been a thorn to the world to long. It time to remove the thorn.
I've been asking the same question since the fall of the Soviet Union. We spend as much or more now (in adjusted dollars) on our defense budget as we did at the height of the Cold War; and in fact we spend 43% more on our defense than the rest of the industrialized world combined, even though we have no serious, advanced industrialized enemies!
And for what? To fight a bunch of goat herders living in caves in Afghanistan because the Islamic terrorists train on monkey bars?
I agree. We need to cut everything and the military has to be part of that.
What say we redefine their mission as protecting our borders and the few americans abroad.
We're doing a lousy job of that as things stand. Put the world on notice they need to protect themselves.
Time to be happy,,Obama won
Hahahahahahahahahahha hehehehehe hehehehehe hogohohohohohohohohohohoh
The right tards lost
Except for the 2010-2011 Congress, Republicans now hold more seats in the House of Representative than at any time since the 1947-48 Congress. Democrats have not been so weak in the House in 65 years.
@Peter17, even after losing all those house seats in this last election? Gee, show some proof of that statement. The GOP did not gain any seats in the house, but you knew that, didn't you? Why post lies when they can be so easily debunked? Silly little boy.
The Tea Baggers thought they had the election all sewn up and Obama the Evil One, the Marxist, the Communist, the Nazi, the Kenyan, the Dictator and alas, the Black Man, would lose and lose by a landslide.
Well, Barack HUSSEIN Obama won and left Mitt Romney and the Tea Baggers wondering WTF happened.
The Tea Baggers will never deal with actual reality.
So be it. The Republican/Tea Bagger party will be irrelevant in less than six years. Bet on it.
Last time I checked the US House of Representatives where any revenue or spending bill must originate ("the peoples' house") was held by republicans.
The TP has won. Obama drove the final nail into the coffin of big government when he signed this last tax bill into law and added another $4 trillion of debt over the next 10 years. There now is no way to pay for big government. The only hope for the big spenders was to let ALL the tax rates go back to the 2000 levels. Instead, Obama made the tax cuts "permanent" for 99.3% of taxpayers. Big spending cuts are on the way, like it or not. What a hoot!
Southern Sandman,
The last time I checked the Republicans lost 15 seats in the People's House.
When those Republican/Tea Partiers got kicked out I only hope they didn't trip over Allen West on the way out.
Reality is a wonderful thing.
Peter17,
The TP hass won?
Reality check. The Tea Party agenda enjoys a whopping 12% approval rating nation wide. That means more than 80% of Americans reject the Tea Party agenda.
If that's winning then boy oh boy you can have it. The Tea Party/Republican party will be irrelavent in less than six years. Meaning, you are now only relevant to white males, who come mainly from the south.
It was a hell of an election.
McConnell has the right idea and is speaking the right words.
Republicans have to grow a spine, however. That means they have to be willing to just close the government and leave it closed.
Closing the government costs money. But leaving it closed saves it. If left closed long enough, we will pay off our national debt, but it may take about a millenium to do it.
The idea behind the fiscal cliff was to reduce the deficit. We didn't do that, winding up with a plan that actually increases it by $3 trillion. It's just the same old liberal game of tax & spend. Republicans need to make it clear those games are over.
The GOP are dumb asses and are led by the dumbest of them all his name is Mitch ( the racist) McConnel.
Actually Obama, Kerry, and Gore are the jackasses.
Their party symbol is the jackass, which is very apropos.
@Southern Sandman, explain to everyone why you cheered when VP Cheney said "DEFICITS DON'T MATTER." And now, because Obama is in office, it matters to you? I do agree with cutting expenses, such as the military first and foremost.
We DO need a strong defensive military, to protect our country, and our country only. By bringing all the troops home, station most on the borders, and coastlines, the illegal and drug problems would be cut way down. And it would save the Govt trillions of dollars.
Next cut every pension, benefit for every elected official. Not the worker bees, but the elected ones. That also would save billions. Fix the hole in the drug part of medicare that the GOP gave to the pharma industry, that also would save billions.
Next thing you know, a billion here, a billion there, and trillions from the military, the deficit would be paid down in a hurry. Now sandman, you shouldn't have a problem with that, would you?
Now hear this,,,
All you gun ass holes,get ready to buy as many guns as you want,,but where will you redneck fawks get your amp?
Hahahaha hehehehehe hohohohohohohoho
One shot one kill,,and I have time on my side. And I'm rady for ya m
McConnel is one big jerk. He said that he was going to do everything he could to see that Obama was a one term Pres. well he failed at that but hew is still a RACIST and his plan is the same Obama is a second term Pres. But Mitch still is going to try to stop everything possible and blame it all on Obama. Mitch get off your RACIST ASS and do what the American people need. Oh Yes Social Security is not an entitlememnt it is an insurance ; wake-up dumb ass.
We don't just hate Obama. We also hate Gore and Kerry.
We don't hate blacks or muslims. We hate jackasses.
Your mother must have sheeted you out redneck
McConnell is speakspeak for S-P-I-N. Y'all caved PERIOD. $10 of spending for every $1 cuts = over the cliff despite the left mudia garbage.
There are a lot of spending cuts we could make that would probably go unnoticed.
1. Defense:
- Cut back our NATO funding to our relative size, Presently we fund 60 percent of NATO while the European Union funds 40 percent. Just by cutting our portion to 40 percent and let the EU pick up the slack would save billions.
- Cut back the number of Flag officers in the military. Senator Tim Coburn recommended this and found a savings of 10 billion dollars just by cutting the number of Generals / Admirals to a size better fitted to the size of our forces.
- Weapons programs, like the F35, are unwanted by the military, and being forced down their throats by congress to support their districts industries
- Contracting, DoD contracting regulations require a program to be contracted for five years, then if the program needs to continue, then it is taken over by government personnel. There are numerous jobs that are carried out by contractors that should be done by government personnel or military that, in turn, would save the DoD billions.
2. Stop subsidizing oil companies. In 2009, Oil company representatives stated that they would consider subsidies as necessary when Oil got below $50 a barrel. While I've heard a lot of people talking about Oil companies expenses, they tend to put their hands over their ears and shout LA LA LA when you talk about the Oil Companies profit margins.
3. Transaction Fees, We used to have transaction fees on any financial transaction. Those were dropped in the 80's, but, when you figure on transactions running into the millions, a fee based on a low percentage would still generate a lot of revenue just by the combined amount of transactions that take place daily. A few cents for some most of us, and frankly, a million dollar transaction costing an extra 100.00 shouldn't break the heart of Donald Trump, or maybe it does.
In short, there are a lot of ways we can cut spending that doesn't dump it all on the backs of the middle class. Certainly there are programs that can be cut across the board. I just tend to notice what when you back a GOP politico into a corner and ask them if everything is on the table. And after talking at length about Medicaide and Medicare and Social Security, they are suddenly very silent about Defense, Oil Companies, and corporate welfare.
Obama just signed a tax bill that will ADD another $4 trillion of debt over the next 10 years. There is no way to offset that number with fees and elimination of a few tax credits. The math doesn't work. Besides, unless the House decides to vote for an increase in taxes, neither the Senate nor Obama can do anything. Revenue bills must originate in the House. Big spending cuts are going to happen, one way or another. Our debt problem is too big and credit markets will force it, just like in Greece.
Defense spending has been cut. It has been cut nearly in half compared to Cold War standards, from 7% to about 4.1%. And all recent plans to cut spending, from Erskine-Bowles to Paul Ryan's included Defense spending cuts.
Just--We spend less on defense during times of peace. We still spend more than the next 17 nations (many of whom are our allies) combined.
Peter,,or should I call you Dic?
Now hear this,them2010 election is now in the process of being reversed,ya bye 2018,the tea Taliban will be extinct
The problem we have is a president who is either incapable or who just plain refuses to negotiate. That is why he had to send in Biden and it was Biden and McConnell who actually negotiated this agreement. Obama can only run to the press and complain about the evil Republicans when they hold their ground and stick to their principles. We have an inept president who can only campaign and go to the liberal media that is in his pocket to try to divide the Republicans by making them look bad in the public's eye and putting them in a no-win situation. Its just a continuation of Chicago-style politics. What a horrible thing for our country. One only needs to look at Chicago and the state of Illinois to see how that m. o. works out.
You know the nation is in real trouble when Joe Biden is the adult in the room.
Just--Biden has to negotiate with McConnell because Boehner can't negotiate with his own caucus.
Candidly, Just, your post is that of a sore loser. Your side lost the election. Get over it and move on.
Still waiting for you to enlighten us on precisely what cuts you would make. What programs? How much from each? What impact will those cuts have on the deficit?
Old Vet
The fact remains that Obama has no skills as a negotiater and he would not work with Boehner.
Seems the house where any spending or revenue bill must originate is controlled by republicans.
Your side lost. Get over it.
Just--Obama came to two agreements with Boehner (debt ceiling and fiscal cliff) and Boehner couldn't sell either of them to his caucus. Boehner doesn't want to negotiate with Obama because Obama depants him.
They say we're racists for hating Obama. But we don't just hate him. We hated Gore and Kerry too.
So, we aren't racists. We just hate jackasses.
The pot callin the kettle black..@!$%# you.
No more jackasses.
Southern loser
I hear your mother was your dad,,,haha hehe hoho ho jack ass coc sucker
You are obviously a jackass.
Sandman--I resent you referring to jackasses in that manner! They are just animals, and don't understand while Harley does this on purpose!
Cutting spending cuts jobs. Is that correct? (I think it is) Okay, I say we TRANSFER JOBS from spending on defense (defense is the nice word ) and transfer those jobs into manufacturing things that save energy or create jobs that build infrastructure. I am saying INVEST in America and I mean the STATES of America. STOP being the policeman of the world because we cannot afford it.
SOMEBODY (military industrial complex) is SCARING the American public into believing that we need to spend 100s of BILLIONS of dollars to make sure that nobody hurts us. Create paranoia and profit from that paranoia. Hype up the youth of our country into thinking that we need them to protect us from .....?? I am not naive enough to think that there are groups that don't hate us and want to see harm done to us but they are succeeding and the large majority of Americans don't even realize us. They are crippling us by scaring us into maintaining a military force which we cannot afford. Once they bankrupt us, actually we will bankrupt ourselves, they have won. No money.......no military. We did the exact same thing to the Soviet Union.
What I propose is to have the courage to lower our military spending. In other words...stop the madness.
The defense spending comes in a far third to the entitlements of Social Security and Medicare. If you close the defense department those two will still break the bank. Get your facts straight if you are going to discuss these issues. As long as the Government has base line budgeting and refuses to tackle the tough issues of entitlements there is no hope. As far as returning manufacturing to the US, dream on. The US Citizens will not pay the premium for made in America merchandise including our patriotic union folks. WalMart is not successful selling American goods. Energy savings, like Solindra? Wake up.,
I watch the entire interview and came to the conclusion that Mitch does Not understand how our government works. 1] He thinks the tax issue is over.Does this mean he agrees with our current tax code? 2] He wants the president to step up and make proposals. Isn't that the House and Senates job? The president {every president} either signs it into law or vetoes. 3] It was apparent to me that he has no opinion of his own only the same answer for almost every question "we need the president to step up". Here's a better idea congress and the senate need to step up and do their damned jobs,you know the one we elected them to do.
Perhaps you don't understand how government works. Tax (revenue) bills MUST originate in the House of Representatives. Just when do you think Boehner is going to bring a tax increase bill to the floor to be voted on??
Well I am thinking maybe the left has the right idea so over the last year. I have been spending almost 4 times what I bring in. My credit cards are maxed my credit lines are maxed. I would like to say all is good but those pesky calls from collectors get on your nerves. Those idiots do not see that I am spending my way to fiscal responsibility and soundness. It's the only way. It's the right way and for sure it is the new American way.
@JabbaTheElf, I know a person who did that. He got his car paid for first, then charged all of his groceries on his credit card, plus gas for his vehicle. If I remember correctly, he had about 5 credit cards maxed out, roughly around 100K, if not more.
When the collectors came around, he didn't have a paycheck for them to grab, no real estate to grab, no decent furniture to grab, or really anything the collecters could get money for. He then filed for bankruptcy, and walked out free of debt.
Since then I think the bankruptcy laws have been changed, but don't really know. But yes, he played the game like the govt does and business's do. They don't like it when an individual beats them at their own game.
I don't believe in doing that, but everyone to their own. I'm not even judging him either. Maybe more people should do that, then hopefully, people might start waking up.
Well the above was simply an exercise. More fiscally responsible then that
So let’s check out how Obama did on his campaign promise to raise taxes on the top 2%. Did the legislation he signed into law by auto-pen raise taxes on the top 2%?? No it did not! Well then maybe he raised taxes on the top 1%?? Not exactly! It turns out that taxes have been raised on only those with the top 0.7% of incomes and then not fully back to the Clinton era rates. Even billionaires are getting a tax cut. But why should anyone be surprised at Obama's failure to fulfill another campaign promise since we all know that Obama is "math challenged". I'm sure Pelosi called Obama in Hawaii and told him to just sign the bill; he could read it and find out what was in it when he returned from vacation. Then he could have Timmy present to explain everything to him. What a hoot!
I am so tired of these lame comments about the debt and Clinton balancing the budget. He had revenues balancing with expenses but nothing was getting paid on the overall deficit. Even if we balance the budget we will not pay on the deficit and that interest payment will hang on our children for generations and if Bozo Bernanke keeps going it will never be paid. By the time Barry hits the road the deficit will be in excess of 20 Trillion so for you under 50 crowd have fun, you voted for him and love him so tell your kids what you left them. Of course if they are in a public school they will probably not understand it anyway.
And Clinton had a huge peace dividend from Reagan as a result of winning the cold war. Nobody wants to talk about that either.
The total national debt has gone up every year since 1957 when Eisenhower was in the White House. There never was a real balanced budget during the Clinton years. Off-budget spending and other budget gimmicks that are illegal in the private sector do not make for a balanced budget.
There are plenty of games in the private sector too. They get to value those largely worthless derivatives at any number they please, and the fed has to keep printing money to keep that time bomb from blowing up.
FASB's "mark to market" rule got taken down by congress, so the biggest ponzi scheme in the history of the world could continue.
Peter,
Was there a deficit during Clinton years?
News media and politicians only have one agenda ...... $$