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Subscribe to RSSPresident Barack Obama said if congressional negotiators cannot draft a full budget by March 1, they should at least come up with a short-term combination of spending cuts and revenue increases in order to stave off deep federal spending cuts scheduled for that date.
"If Congress can't act immediately on a bigger package, if they can't get a bigger package done by the time the sequester is scheduled to go into effect," Obama said, "then I believe that they should at least pass a smaller package of spending cuts and tax reforms that would delay the economically damaging effects of the sequester for a few more months until Congress finds a way to replace these cuts with a smarter solution."
Charles Dharapak / AP
President Barack Obama turns towards cameramen and reacts to a sound as he speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013.
The sequester, reached as part of 2011 budget negotiations, was never actually supposed to take effect. Rather, its deep cuts, including almost $500 billion in defense spending over nine years, were put in place as a trigger to get Congress to agree to more comprehensive budget and tax reform.
House Speaker John Boehner released a written statement before Obama’s remarks, blaming the president for the sequester and saying he would not support any additional revenue increases.
“President Obama first proposed the sequester and insisted it become law,” Boehner said, adding, “We believe there is a better way to reduce the deficit, but Americans do not support sacrificing real spending cuts for more tax hikes."
In recent weeks, members of Congress appeared to be playing rhetorical chicken over the cuts, with some suggesting they were resigned to the across-the-board cuts.
“I think it’s more likely to happen,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was quoted as saying by the Washington Post last week.
But the White House has stood firm on the self-imposed cuts, with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney underscoring Friday that the sequester was always intended to be replaced.
“The negative consequences of implementation would be bad across the board," Carney said. "That's the point. So Congress needs to do its job."
And the president hinted that revenues would remain central to all budget negotiations, telling CBS in a Sunday interview that “there is no doubt we need additional revenue coupled with smart spending reductions in order to bring down our deficit."
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all you people need to get off the computer and go smell the fresh air........its stale in here
My dog puked in the laundry room. It's really stale in here too.
Budget Battle?...... and the "Low Information Voters" keep electing these crooks!
.........don't forget the $100 million per month for "Obama's Phone" buddy.........
A cellphone company whose top executive has close ties to President Obama lobbied for and won a piece of a major new government push to provide Internet service to low-income job-seekers, even though critics say the company’s smartphones are poorly suited to the task of helping those in the program find work.
TracFone CEO F.J. Pollak has been a frequent White House visitor and his wife Abigail has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for both Mr. Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
And although TracFone had originally lobbied for the program, critics say its contract would not provide recipients with skills-boosting computers and services, but would supply high-end Android phones, ready to play games and browse Facebook but doing little in the way of getting a job.
Billionaire backing
TracFone is a subsidiary of Mexico’s American Movil, part of the corporate empire of billionaire entrepreneur Carlos Slim, often listed as the world’s richest man. The company denies that it engaged in improper lobbying or exploiting the Pollaks’ political and social connections to Mr. Obama.
Mrs. Pollak is listed as one of 230 fundraisers to have brought in the better part of $1 million for the president’s 2012 campaign, and did the same in 2008.
Mr. Pollak has visited the White House numerous times, including for public gatherings such as the Easter Egg Roll and a Cinco de Mayo party, said Jose Fuentes, a spokesman for America Movil.
“That has absolutely nothing to do with business. There’s been no pay-for-play — or even favors. What he does in his private time is his,” he said............ yeah right!
He isn't smart enough to care about the economy. He never ran so much as a damn paper route and we expect him to know anything about applied economics? Every time he gets cornered he says he is going to appoint another Czar - he knows nothing except where to get free gov. money and how to spend it. He is focused on gun control health care and now immigration. He doesn't give 2 sh!ts about the economy. I voted for his 1st term, shame on him. Those of you who voted for him this term, shame on you.
Obama Flew Air Force One for 90-Mile Campaign Trip
by Keith Koffler on July 16, 2012, 9:06 am
President Obama Saturday commissioned Air Force One to travel to a campaign rally near Richmond, Virginia, a location only 90 miles away from the White House, highlighting the large expenses being borne by taxpayers as the president traverses the country to campaign and raise cash for a campaign that is failing to meet its fundraising goals.
The cost of flying Air Force One is currently about $180,000 per hour, according to ABC News. Only a portion of the cost is borne by the campaign.
With a cruising speed of around 130 mph, Obama’s Marine One chopper could easily have had the president at his location in 45 minutes at far lower cost. Obama had to use Marine One anyway to ferry him from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base, where he boarded his jet.
And that's not including everything else, Fighter escort / Secrete service ect.. they said 214 million total expense every day He fly and has more mileage than any other president to date!!!!!!!!!! Look it up like I said too before you comment!!!!!!!!!!
$180 k per hour includes all projected maintenence costs.
Operating costs are between 45-65 k per hour.
It costs the US Tax payers $120 k sitiing in the Hanger at Andrews.
YEAH! MORE TAXES!! YOU GO BOY!!! And don't worry, we all trust you when you say they'll be accompanied by real spending cuts (wink, wink, wink). Just tax us to death already.
There's nothing like calling your own bluff. Eh, Obama?
Obama is the champion of the middle class. Look how well we are all doing.
This is looking like it might be a replay of Reagan's first term. Reaganomics consisted of big tax cuts along with big spending cuts. His team got the tax cuts passed but when it came to the spending cuts, Congress dug in their heels and said Hell, No!, which led to the Reagan debt. I predict that Obama may succeed in getting his tax increases, but Congress isn't about to give up their handout programs. So this country will be looking at annual trillion deficits as far as the eye can see.
Now - Obama, Oh Sh*t they called my bluff!!!
Previously - Obama said, "[S]ome in Congress are trying to undo these automatic spending cuts," he said. "My message to them is simple: No. I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts to domestic and defense spending. There will be no easy off-ramps on this one."
Well which is it, or did you just flip flop? You own it like the economy, healthcare, immigration etc... Take off the pull-ups and put your big boy pants on!
Ha Ha Ha, you will get no more new taxes with no budget, or entitlement reduction(s)! No more blank check spending like a drunken college student for your political friends benefit. ~(:>)
Obama's not the sharpest tool in the shed...Obama is street smart and Board Room dumb...this guy did "NOT" earn a Harvard Law Degree...he had to have gotten an affirmative action degree...if Obama is capable of intelligence, which I question, he certainly hasn't gotten any...there is a direct correlation between intelligence and the ability to listen...Obama couldn't listen if someone sewed his mouth shut...let's just use affirmative action and draw the line wherever Obama can make it to...
Great another "short term" solution to a long term problem. I was reviewing the Simpson-Bowles report in which ONE point was that if we continue do nothing as we are now to address the debt, that by 2020 we will be paying one Trillion a year in interest to service the debt. One Trillion! that money going to the hands of bankers, there will not be any money for the entitlement programs liberals love so dearly. At the point, serious deep cuts will be made which will hurt everyone. No one has the balls to at least talk about the thrid rail of politics, let alone do anythng about it.
Rerun, rerun, rerun... this administration just plain sucks at everything.
JOBS< ECONOMY<BUDGET!
Warren Buffet said he wanted and should pay more, hell send him the bill. I guarentee you will see an about face.
The President, in accordance with to the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, must submit a budget to Congress each year. ( Do your F'ing job and stop blaming everyone else, its the man in the mirror fault, take a look at you might be surprise who you see looking back at you.)
Obama is not doing his job! he is creating a bigger mess than what Bush left behind... His decisions are creating more welfare, and SSI dependents, His Health care crap is mess up the working classes insurance ( higher rate, higher co-pays, and less coverage).
we look weak to other countries- with all the fighting in the WH, hell we aren't even feeding the troops breakfast. what is the most important meal of the day!!!!
He takes his family on expensive vacation and I trying to figure out if I can take my kid to Disneyland.
He is traveling around the country like he is still running for office and bashing the GOP, instead of sitting his ass in the WH and figuring out how to get everyone to play nice together.. if my boss allowed his staff to work and talk to one another the way the president has allowed his staff to act, my boss would had been fired.
I think the man only wanted the title President and not the job, and now we are screwed.
the man needs to move back to Chicago and work on their crime/gang shootings.
broken promises, lies, deceitfulness, every thing that Obama accused Bush of doing, Obama has doubled down on, Obama used every talking point he could fine, some call it political genius, but lets call it what it really is, Obama lied his ass off to get votes and that 's all he did, since he's been in office what one positive thing has he accomplished,, Obama's a walking talking contradiction of what a leader should be like.